


Kudos to Kudo

by hisfoolishgirl



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: AU, Again not that they would know it, Akako tried to enchant Kuroba and only gets those sass cards from Conan for her effort, And I really can't blame him, Conan has more sarcasm then Kuroba does magic tricks, Conan has so many sass cards for the entire cast, Except Ran, F/M, He is also very much done at the moment, He might just be a little bitter about that, Not that they would know it, Poor Kuroba, Post-Canon, Shinichi is dead, Supernatural - Freeform, Technically Post Canon, for obvious reasons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 19:36:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7770355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hisfoolishgirl/pseuds/hisfoolishgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kudo Shinichi didn't think that taking Ran to Tropical Land would end on the notes that it did.</p><p>Namely - Dying. He didn't think he'd die going to an amusement park.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Death Bed : Departure

Shinichi and murder were like two peas in a pod - completely different things but always in the same space. He solved murder mysteries so he never questioned it, after all wasn’t that how it worked for the Great Holmes? If you never have mysteries in your life, how can you become a detective? No one questioned how Kudo always ended up on a murder scene, even when the murder happened on a roller coaster.

That was the first time Kudo recalled the shiver going up his back. It wasn’t one of horror as he watched the blood rushing into the sky but excitement. He didn’t notice or linger on it - It wasn’t his excitement after all. Which should have been a thought to be lingered over, brought some sort of passing attention, but it wasn’t. His mind was already noticing everything outside of it, finding the clues and discarding the rest, piecing together the truth of the situation. He did so quickly, while noticing suspects that might have another case for his mind to chew on at the same time. When he finished explaining the case to everyone that wanted to listen, he thought he heard someone chuckle with amusement. Shinichi looked at the men in black, sure it was them and their cool air of murder, but neither were impressed with the boy. In fact, he was sure he wasn’t solving it fast enough for them. Another shiver went up his back as his eyes lingered, _there some thread between himself and them_ -

“Shinichi?” Ran’s voice cut through his attention as he watched the men in black leave the scene. He turned to look at her, and a smile covered his face.

“Ran?” He said with a raise of his eyebrow.

She pouted, “You weren’t listening to me.” She folded her arms.

“Sorry,” He said with a rub to the back of his head. He glanced back down the way the men had left. Ran’s sigh cut through his distraction, and he swallowed, “I’m going to be right back,” He said with a smile before taking a step away from her, “I promise, Ran. Right back.”

He turned and he started running. They were out of sight, and he knew that meant he had probably lost them, but - “Shinichi!” Ran’s voice barely got his ear, but it didn’t manage to steal his attention.

~ ~ ~

“Shinichi!” Ran called after him. She took a step forward, stopping when her shoelace snapped, “Shinichi…” She whispered, and she looked down at the broken shoelace. She refused to believe the omen of bad luck. Shinichi would be right back. They were in an amusement part, they were teenagers, and she had - She had so much to tell him still…

Everything had to be okay. Nothing could change their lives, and - if it did it?

Her heart cut off that thought. It knew better then to let Ran think about the fact that she had been the one that had insisted on going today. It would have a hard enough time keeping it from her if something did happen to him.

~ ~ ~

Shinichi found them, and he smiled because he was just that good. A shiver down his spine went unnoticed for a second time, and the chuckle seemed like an echo from the crowds, not fate mocking him for his pride.

He followed them through the alleys and he stayed in the shadows, “I- I came alone as promised!”

“I know.. I confirmed that from the top of the roller coaster.”

“H- Hurry, give it to me-”

“Don’t be in such a rush. The money first..”

Kudo peaked around the corner, his eyes focused on the amount of money being flashed.  The man in black took the case and confirmed the amount, “Good…”

“Now, give me the film!”

“Here ya go -- The evidence revealing your company's involvement in -” Kudo slide his phone out of his pocket and started recording, “- gun smuggling!”

“Agh,” The man fumbled catching the usb drive casually thrown in the air.

“Crime doesn’t pay!! Heh Heh!”

“Shut up! Compared to what your syndicate does - we haven’t done anything--”

“Enough of that talk if know what’s good for you.” Kudo noticed the glint of silver from the man’s jacket, but not the glint of silver that was swinging down towards his head.

“That’s it, kid.”

The pain was all he remembered when he found himself staring at the ground. His head throbbing. He couldn’t move, something was pinning him down. The same voice that chuckled - he heard it sigh like a boy who finally had his prized toy taken despite the 4th warning from his parents.

“B-Boss…”

“You let yourself get trailed by this kid…”

“Should we rub him out?”

“No guns! This place is crawling with cops,” Kudo found himself grasping at straws, trying to get a breath. There was too much pressure on his lungs. He was going pass out. The pressure worsed for just a moment, the pipe that hit his head pressed down on his phone. Smashed. Useless. It wasn’t in his reach anyways, “Let’s use this…” The man standing on him was talking, but Shinichi couldn’t turn to see what he was talking about… Maybe it was knife. Blood loss - better then poison any day he supposed, “The new poison the syndicate developed.”

He had spoken too soon.

There was that chuckle again, but oddly not as amused this time around. It was pained, awkward, like the speaker that it was coming from was using it as a coping mechanism because he couldn’t understand what was going on in front of him. Where was it coming from? The closer Shinichi grew to passing out from the pain, blunt force trauma and lack of air, the more he took notice of it.

“Heh heh heh,” This laugh’s source was clear for Shinichi, and Shinichi in all his crime scene visits had never actually known a man to commit an evil laugh before committing a crime. Something new everyday, even death wasn’t going to let him slack on the new experiences. “This poison is untraceable in the body,” He said as he grabbed Shinichi by the hair and flipped him over, “It will be an unsolvable murder!!”

_I promise, Ran! I’ll be right back._

Even with that thought clearly echoing in his ears, Shinichi couldn’t find the energy to fight. The pill was already in his mouth - ironically the only thought that could have saved him was the one that had distracted him for just a moment.

 _I’m sorry, Ran_ , He thought as the water rushed down his throat taking the pill deeper into his systems, _I’m so sorry you’ll never-_ His brain shut down as the burning filled his train of thought with steam.

“C’mon let's get out of here-”

“Right.” The man dropped the steaming Kudo. Shinichi started convulsing as they ran from his murder scene, “So long… _Great Detective._ ”

“Tsk. And, they still made time to gloat.” Shinichi looked up. It was the only thing he could do with all of the pain he was in. He couldn’t think, and he couldn’t move. He was dying, and the grim reaper standing over him was proof that he had no hope, “I hate it when they gloat. That stupid laugh was more then enough…” The man looked down at Kudo and sighed once again. He was the chuckle and he was the sigh.

Did that mean Kudo was his toy that fate was about to take away from him?

Kudo’s hands grabbed the grass around him as the bones began to burn. It was too much, and nothing else mattered to him then the thought that he’d never see Ran again.

Well, at least she would see him again. Hopefully. Someone was bound to find his body after all...

With that morbid thought in his mind - that she'd have closure on his disappearance if fate was kind to her, a faint whimper came from his lips as the dark night swallowed him up.

~ ~ ~


	2. Death Bed : Blackmail

The grim reaper sat beside Kudo. The boy had passed out from the poison, and perhaps from the shock. He wasn’t quite dead, so the reaper sat beside the boy and waited. He had been following Shinichi around for years. The boy had just been too much of a trouble magnet for the Reaper not to stick around him.

If a boy is gonna follow death around might as well make his own job easier by sticking around and picking up the lost souls he had literally tripped over while following the boy. Shinichi solved cases as well, and that made it easier for the Reaper to pass them over to the other side as they were at peace with their murder solved.

Maybe he was the reason the kid was dead? He chuckled, but it was a highly unamused laugh. He was just a spirit sent to collect souls. He didn’t actually cause their deaths. Maybe in the past, but not now. Although. he supposed, had he been a shinigami rather then a Reaper that might have made this a different train of thought that would have definitely led to his guilt. Or if he wasn't trying to hide. Although his work had never been such as to be detected...

He looked back down at the boy and he stared at the surprise awaiting him. Kudo Shinichi was a teenager - he was in high school and he was about to start an adult life in just a handful of years depending on his choices..

The body beside him?

It looked like Kudo, but ten years younger. He poked the kid. The grim reaper sighed. It was his job to collect - not revenge, not to ask questions.

Like how Shinichi’s life expectancy had shortened this morning from long and happy to ‘hey, here’s Kudo’s file. He’s going to die tonight via poison.’

He had been using the kid to make his job easier. He felt a twinge in his chest. Maybe he owed him a favor -  No. He wasn’t a spirit walker anymore. Well, he was, but he couldn't just do what he was thinking of doing. Reaper was just a job title after all. One mainly reserved to human souls that didn’t want to just pass on, and he was currently trying to pass of being one of those souls so that worked out just fine for him. Blowing his cover would be a fate worse then death...

He frowned at Kudo.

But still - It was highly irregular for a life to be shortened that suddenly with a Reaper given so few details to be passed on. Like none. If the boy refused to be at peace - there would be nothing the Reaper could do about it. Shinichi's soul would end up stuck on this side - and honestly the Reaper didn't know what that would do to the boy. No one did. That just didn't happen.

Reapers got complete files so they could explain to the dead soul what had happened - a way that normally used because boys that solved so many murders were as common as this Reaper had wished they were. Souls were not allowed to linger without permission or maintenance after all.

He bit his lip and he looked down at Shinichi’s tiny form. He had just thought about doing exactly that - keeping Shinichi’s soul on this side without the proper care it would need - without a reason to do so.

The Grim Reaper wasn’t one for the office gossip, he’d rather live off of the entertainment this boy detective had provided him with - one part rom com in the making with Ran, and the other part murder mystery intrigue. But even he heard the rumor floating around about humans trying to mess with immortality again. He’d heard Pandora’s name come up in passing as well as something about Sherlock.

The latter made no sense, but he wasn’t one to keep up with the times. The less he was around the office the better it was for him and his boss.

Maybe it was suppose to make sense to him though. It was a shame now that he hadn’t asked Olivia about it.

The Grim Reaper swallowed. They had just shaved ten years off of this boy’s life - or just turned him into a child… He couldn’t know which. That was a detail that was normally kept in the death debriefs Foresight provided his department with.. This was very disconcerting with a handful of details like that.

“Oi, Kudo,” The grim reaper whispered. He sighed. He wouldn’t let men like that, the stock type of human boogey men, get their hands anywhere near the stone Pandora or any other route to immortality that nature might provide them with, “Oi,” He hissed again.

If he could make a deal with the kid…At least then he wouldn’t be stuck investigating this alone.

There now he had a reason. He ignored the thought that was trying to pat him on the back. After all - It wasn’t like he wanted the kid to have a long happy life. It wasn’t like he felt bad for the teenager that had had the world at his fingertips only to lose it in a moment.

He just wanted the kid to do the heavy lifting for him, do the investigating for him. After all, maybe there was something to the conspiracy theory idea that was forming in his head.

That was all there was to it, “Oi,” The Reaper moaned again.

He poked the boy again.

“I am busy dying. Shut up.” There he was - the grim reaper sighed. The spirit of Kudo Shinichi was sitting on the other side of the corpse. They had to wrap this up before his superiors noticed that he decided to ask for forgiveness rather then permission. At least, In his defense, there really wasn’t the time for two weeks worth of paperwork for a life extension - even if he’d thought about that option earlier. If Kudo wasn’t back in in less then two minutes there would be major health problems for the kid which would make both of their lives far harder if the Reaper kept with keeping him alive. Gone were the days when dead men could just come back to life without a doctor taking notice, or witchdoctor depending on the culture, “Or at least that’s what I thought was happening?” Kudo snapped, “Where did this kid come from? Why is he the dead one here?”

The grim reaper stared at the very rude spirit, “Dude - that _is_ you.” He answered. Maybe he was better off just letting the kid pass on. But, that would mean he’d have to do the investigating work, and that was not something he wanted to do, “You _are_ dead, and you _are_ talking to _your_ grim reaper.” He rolled his eyes, might as well make this quick, “Any questions?”

“Tsk. You’re trying to rush this. Sorry to be an inconvenience.”

At this the reaper laughed, “Quite the opposite, Kudo. I want to make a deal with you.”

Shinichi’s eyes widened. _Deal with the devil? An option to extend my life?_

He could hear Shinichi’s thoughts, made putting souls to rest far easier after all since they were often just a giant emotional mess, but the kid didn’t need to know that. The Grim Reaper pointed at the teenage soul staring at him, “I want to put you back in there -” He pointed at the shrunken form. Might as well play it as a deal with the devil sort of stick. Might make Shinichi easier to convince, “Since that’s the only way to keep you walking back around and that’s what the dead normally want-”

“Nope.” Shinichi answered, “I would like to just pass on please.”

He’d still be able to get his soul quota with the trouble magnet walking around near him - so that another plus -

“Wait?” The Reaper held up a hand, “What was that?”

“I would like to pass on now. Just - let’s get this over with.”

“Don’t you want to go back to Ran?”

“Well, why wouldn’t I?” Shinichi rubbed the back of his neck, “But - I’m good with passing on. I died. That’s what happens. Ran will be sad. _I’m sad!_ _I wanted to at least confess to her before I died after all!_ But, this,” He looked at the shrunken form, “It wouldn’t be practical. I would lie to her if I wanted to try to use her father’s connections to the force. My own parents would over react. _I don’t even know how to react._ It would take twenty years for me to be old enough to find my own leads. It’s just - Since you’re giving me the choice to fade quietly into the night? I feel that that would be the better and more responsible option then making a deal with a devil to extend my life - for what? Revenge? Making Ran wait so she's not dating a kid? Watching Ran move on?” The boy flinched, "Nope. I'm good. I'm moving on. I am moved on. Please- Just lets get this show on the road."

The Grim Reaper stared at Kudo Shinichi.

_What was he suppose to do with logic like that?_

His lips curled up. He - as a Spirit Walker - was in a very special position.

_He could blackmail the kid._

He leaned close to the shrunken form’s ear, and he whispered softly. His eyes never left the teenager's face, “If you don’t - I will.” Shinichi didn’t react. He wasn't falling for the bluff. He wasn't going to make a deal with a devil to extend his life. He knew how much of a back bite that could have. He also didn’t look away though. So the Reaper ran with it. He licked the boy’s ear, “I can crawl inside this skin," He hissed, "And I can take it for a walk,” Now the boy’s eyes were growing wide. He could feel something, and he knew he didn't like it, like he was loosing a connection to something he was suppose to have. The Reaper was, very slowly, doing what he'd told the boy he would do. That sensation was the best bet he had for the boy to stop calling his bluff. Though it was hardly such. He could do everything that he was describing after all. “And," The Reaper continued when Shinichi didn't comment, "You’re brain is what stores those memories of yours as well. So, maybe, just maybe I’ll be able to find a cure to the poison that did this, and then I’ll be able to take over your life. Ran wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, Shinichi, and you don't have to worry. I would know exactly how to make her happy in ways you never -”

 _You’re bluffing. He’s bluffing - he has to be bluffing_ \- those thoughts fluttered through Shinichi’s head at a rapid pace, “Why?” His voice was nearly an unrestrained scream of pain as he cut off the Reaper before he keep going with his unnecessary implications. He wouldn't have gone that far, but it was taking too long to get the rise out of Shinichi that the Reaper needed. “Why would you do that?” Shinichi hissed.

“Because,” The Reaper said slowly. It was helping him scare the boy, not something he was sure about doing now that he was in the middle of the sticky wicket, but he couldn’t really back out now that he'd said what he had about Ran, and he needed the time he was earning to come up with a reason.

“You don’t have a reason, do you?” More horror filled Shinichi's voice.

“Look, kid!" The Reaper finally snapped, dropping the facade. He sat up straight and wagged a finger at Shinichi, "I’ve been following you since the first time I saw a brat like you solve a murder. Is it wrong that I want you to have a long and happy life? That I want you to take the deal just so you can have what you suppose to have? _Like you were suppose to have until I got the word this morning that_ that _had changed?_ ”

“What?”

“We don’t have time for this, kid. You’re about to get some really severe brain damage if the tiny thing stays dead for much longer - You want to solve this case or not?”

“Baro," Shinichi muttered, "Fine. Do what ever you need to do to with me. Not like I have a choice now!” Shinichi answered with another swift ‘Baro’ towards himself for letting himself get whisked away by his curiosity.

One truth prevails was the kid's motto after all. He never could leave a case alone - and now he had two. The Reaper and the change in his own case.

“It’s going to hurt, kid.” The Reaper informed him as he put a hand on the body of the boy, and both the boy and the spirit gasped as sharp pricks burned into them. The side effects might take a while to kick in, but for now, they were bound and the only difference that meant was that Shinichi was for all intents and purposes alive. The teenage spirit disappeared the moment the other form of Shinichi opened his eyes. The shrunken Shinichi looked up at where the reaper was and he smiled sadly.

He had hoped that he’d just had a fever induced dream. Which was fair considering the boy was still steaming.

“Sorry to disappoint kid,” The reaper rubbed the back of his head, “It’s real, and you’re stuck with me for now-”

“Over here!” Someone shouted and Kudo had the sense to drop his head back down keeping an act, hoping they hadn't seen him, hadn't mentioned him. He could recall what he had missed due to the pain and he knew the men in black had expected a dead man to be here, “I see something over here!” Playing dead was the best way to get them to leave if they meant him harm.

The grim reaper though could hear the radio on the approaching man's shoulder - “Is it the teenager the girl was looking for?” The reaper took a deep breath of relief. Good thing holding his breath didn't affect his health.

The officer didn't answer he just kept approaching, “Boy?” He whispered when he was close enough to notice that there was more to the small wad of an abandoned outfit that had caught his attention.

Shinichi stopped breathing. _I can't let_ them _know I am still al-_

“Ran is the one that sent them looking this way,” The reaper told him before his new company could pass out from the lack of oxygen. Tiny form - Tiny lungs. It was all he could do to keep from shaking his head. It was a good call, smart reaction, but the boy _had_ just died. Perhaps he should have just escorted the boy across if these were the survival instincts the brat had.

The boy didn't physically react to knowledge of Ran's involvement outside of the fact he decided to breath again, averting dying for the second time in the last five minutes. He still didn't move from his spot.  _I’ll let him wake me up. I can act dazed, run before they call back up, and hopefully get out of here without being seen by Ran._

The last bit cause the Reaper's attention, “Oh? Why avoid Ran?”

Shinichi grew tense for a moment - he wasn't use to someone reading his mind, which was the only explanation for the Reaper's comment- before his  mental admission, _With how tiny I am and how big these clothes are - I doubt I will be able to run with all of them on._

The Reaper snorted, “And you've never once bathed with her as a child?” They had. The Reaper already knew it and his tone told Shinichi that the Reaper already knew the answer. Shinichi hadn't just recently become his favorite trouble magnet after all - and Shinichi was just now realizing to question just how long this reaper had been at his side. He couldn't have been stumbling over cases that- ... Maybe he had been. “I think it's adorable that you're getting embarrassed,” The Reaper cooed much to Shinichi's further embarrassment.

The grown man, the living one, the officer, shined his light in Shinichi’s face and without missing a beat Shinichi played his planned role out perfectly.

Yukiko would be proud of her son's performance, and, apparently, the Reaper had made that statement aloud without noticing such if the timing of Shinichi’s snort was anything to go by.

He was going to have to get use to not just snarking at every stupid thing the teenager did.

~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was editing it, and I got excited. So here's a chapter. I hope you enjoy~! ^^/


	3. Death Bed : Discussion

Shinichi got out of the park with ease - and without his pants so that had been a fair concern after all. Luckily, his shirt looked like a dress on him now even if just barely - so maybe less so. 

Shinichi sighed as he walked down the street with his new best friend walking behind him. Or rather grim reaper… He didn’t look exactly human after all…

“Hey now, not everyone can walk around with a face as pretty as-” Shinichi stopped walking when the man stopped talking. This silence left an eerie feeling, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to turn around and see what was going on, “Well?” The reaper was waiting for him to do exactly that. Shinichi rolled his eyes, and he wasn’t surprised to turn around and see a mirror image of his teenage self looking back at him.

“Give it back,” He grumbled before turning back and pattering down the street with his bare feet getting scraped up on the concrete. He pulled his jacket tight around him in an attempt to kill his shivers. He knew it wouldn’t help. He was scared, not cold.

“I know I’m talking to you, Kudo, but you’re the only one that can see me. And - you know I can read your mind so if you could keep the conversa -” The Reaper stopped walking again, “That wasn’t a nice way of telling me to stop talking.”

_ I’m not in the mood. Especially with your attitude. _

“No, you just have a lot to think about and you’re bitter because you think that I am not behaving properly.”

_ You’re right. That is exactly what I’m thinking. It’s like you can read my mind. _

“I would take the face off,” The Reaper admitted, “If I could.”

Kudo stopped walking. This had heavy implications,  _ What? _ He kept his lips quiet, tight together, he looked like enough of a mess that he didn’t need to add talking to himself to the list of ‘How I appear to be mad to everyone one passing by me on the street’. He was lucky no one was stopping him. In fact it was odd.. He looked back at the grim reaper and waited for an answer.

“Do you want the answer to the ‘What?’ or the ‘Why is no one stopping you, a child wandering alone in the dark with only a grown man’s shirt on him?”

_ Either - no. Rather both. I want  _ both _ answers. _

The grim reaper sighed, “Look, I’m not a prankster. I’m not a trickster. I’m just lazy, ‘kay? I went over board while I was trying to convince you to get into that tiny shell. I know that, and I am really sorry I stooped to that level in my conversation about Ran. Do you forgive me? Are we good?”

Shinichi sighed.  _ Do you have a name, Mr. Grim Reaper? _

His face - or rather Shinichi’s face since the Reaper was still wearing that one - squished up in distaste, “Honestly? I’ve forgotten...”

Shinichi sighed.  _ Might as well steal that as well then. _

“That literally does us no good - what am I suppose to call you then - Bocchan?”

Shinichi squished his own face up in the distaste from the pretentious term, “Look-”

“Okay. Stop talking. _ Literally _ stop talking to me.” The Reaper tapped the boy’s head, “Keep it up here, kay? The more you talk the more attention you draw to yourself. I’m trying my best to make sure you’re just a figment in the corner of their eyes. You’re short enough I can get away with doing this. I’m just warping their perceptions so they don’t glance down to notice you, and the body is doing the rest to make sure they don’t trip over you. Now, we can keep talking  _ while _ walking or, I swear, I will carry you back to Agasa’s - and that will only lead to you seeing the inside of every temple in Japan while they try to exorcise the two of us apart because they saw you literally floating around the streets of Tokyo.”

“The two of-” Kudo swallowed, and he started walking,  _ What do you mean? _

“I am a grim reaper now, but I wasn’t always. Typically the grim reapers are made of souls like yourself that die - well not like you in particular - since you were more then fine with just moving on,” He was still bitter about that, and Shinichi didn’t know how to feel about that fact, “But others - they get to kick around picking up other souls while their paperwork is going through.”

_ Oh? And what are you exactly, if not a wandering soul that’s merely trying to waste time? _

“Tsk,” Kudo didn’t care about the reaper’s lack of appreciation for his attitude. He honestly found it a bit distasteful as well, but in his defense he wasn’t focusing on his tone or word choice- rather he thought it was better to focus on not going insane from everything that had just happened, “I don’t think that really matters.”

_ Great so I’ve been had- _

“I’m not a malicious spirit of any kind-”

Kudo looked up at the taller man, the only man he supposed after a moment,  _ Oh? Do tell me more… And with that face. _

“Okay.  _ That _ isn’t my fault.”

Shinichi had a nagging feeling he was about to get just a little too far in over his head,  _ What does that mean? _

“Right now the only reason you’re alive is because I’m literally acting as the tendons between your spirit and - the rest of the real you. You  _ are _ dead, Kudo Shinichi. The connection between your soul and your body is gone. It is never coming back. I am a makeshift for that connection, ‘kay? Pretending to be it for you. Which is why I have your face. Even  _ I _ have to think I’m  _ you _ to pull this off. It simply isn’t natural, and I don’t know what the side effects will be for either of us.”

_ What?  _

“Hm?”

_ Just what  _ are _ you? _

“A man with revoked privileges and hopefully I can keep you from having to worry about that. But, honestly, I don’t know at this point. The longer I keep thinking about it…” The reaper’s face paled and that sent a shiver down Shinichi’s back, “The more I think of how unhappy my supervisor is going to be with this.”

_ So - why did you decide this was a good idea? _

“The men that did this to you are  - I think, are trying to find immortality - and I’ll be out of a job if they do that. I recall the big wigs not being in favour of that discovery as well. Now, since I was the reaper on the scene - and most certainly not just a wandering soul wasting time - that means they might try to put me on the case.” The reaper shrugged, “You’re a better detective. So I decided to make a decision that it would be better to ask for forgiveness rather then permission.”

Something about that didn’t sit right with Kudo, “And they wouldn’t give permission?”

“I told you earlier there was a change in your life expectancy -  _ this morning. _ ”

_ So, that doesn’t normally happen? _

“Absolutely not. There’s too much paperwork. People have to do bad things to get the fates to decide to interfer.”

_ … Was I going to do something bad? _

The Reaper shrugged, “I suppose that’s a possibility. Only Foresight would know, and we don’t see her very often.”

Shinichi noticed a change in tone. He knew Foresight personally, and that had lead to this scenario.

Foresight he decided was someone he wouldn’t trust.

“See not just any detective could have pieced that together.”

_ So you tricked me into this? _

“If it all goes well you could go back to living as well. As Kudo Shinichi full sized teenage detective.”

_ But I’m not  _ suppose  _ to be alive. _

“You’ve been doing my job for a long time, kid. I owe you something, and I assure you there have been exceptions to all sorts of rules in the past.”

_ And you’re one of those exceptions aren’t you? _

“See? Better detective.”

For some reason Kudo found that hard to believe. He intentionally kept this thoughts vague, but this reaper had figured out where he was headed before he’d figured it out himself. Agasa’s. Not home - not to the Kudo residence right next door. He couldn’t be going there because it was too dangerous. They knew who he was, and the squarish man had reacted with shock the first time he’d heard Kudo’s name. They knew he could have been dangerous. Kudo threw another side long glance at the reaper still wearing his teenage face.

A shiver ran down his back. Lazy as this man was, he was sure that wasn’t a lie with this man’s casual air and seeming lack of forethought, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be a dangerous man if pushed.

“You’ll never be able to push me, Kudo. I’m gambling on you. I’m trusting you. Do you think I’ll bite you?”

_ … I still don’t believe you’re not a devil. _

The reaper's hand went to his heart, “That stings, kid.”

Kudo rolled his eyes.  _ I just hope you’re quiet long enough for me to sleep. You seem like a talker, and I doubt you have to sleep. _

At that, the Reaper laughed, “Do I really seem like the sort that would even if I did?”

_ Touche. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really sure how I feel about how this chapter finally came out. :/ But, it's pretty much just exposition that would have filled the air as they walked so it was doomed from the start. Promise longer chapter, better content next time? Hopefully it's good. I'm excited anyways. Also - I really wanted to write Shinichi and Conan together so that is absolutely why this fic was started. Hopefully it's not completely horrible. Rereading a scene like 20 times will make anything sound bad... Till next time yo~


	4. Death Bed : Fate

They stood in the library of the Kudo house much to the reaper’s displeasure. Shinichi was handling Agasa with ease - outside of making sure they didn’t enter the Kudo house - but the lack of wardrobe options for Shinichi’s new size in Agasa’s house had made it impossible to avoid - and he was skipping all of the supernatural parts of the story with even more ease much to the Reaper’s pleasant surprise. He had expected more fumbling around the lies from the detective who was enamored with the truth. He shrugged, couldn't say much about it really, perhaps it was just a natural skill considering his mother and his genius.

The reaper was busy looking at the spines of all the books as Agasa gave Shinichi a stern lecture about not letting anyone know this new secret. He could hear Shinichi’s exasperation locked away inside in mind, _If only he knew the entire story_ , and the Reaper couldn’t help but chuckle.

Then a knock on the door, and every party inside froze.

 _Ran._ _Please let it be Ran._

“So you can just lie to her?” The Reaper hissed before noticing he was doing such.

He could feel the weight of what he said sagging on Shinichi’s shoulders. _I don’t want her to see me like this. I know you think you were doing me a solid with the blackmail - but_ I am dead _. Nothing good can come of her being involved with this - with me._

The doors opened and they heard the visitor call out for Shinichi. No one moved. It was Ran’s voice.

“Kudo?” The Reaper whispered.

_Yes?_

“I’m going to do something very stupid.” He said simply as he strolled towards the door that lead to the foyer.

_Reaper!_

“Keep Agasa quiet - and wait two seconds.”

“Shh,” Kudo whispered to Agasa, “Maybe she won’t come here-” The door to the library closed and the Reaper couldn’t hear what happened when he left. He was too focused on Ran - On being noticed… If she could feel him-

He stood in front of her and looked down. One hand in his pocket, and his shoulders slouched. He’d been following Shinichi long enough to know how he looked, acted.

How he spoke.

“Baro.” He said simply.

Ran looked up from the shoes and she stared at where he stood, “Oi!” She threw her umbrella to the side - apparently it had started raining after they’d gotten inside … Or he simply hadn’t noticed it earlier, “You said you were going to be right back, Shinichi-”

He rolled his eyes, and he turned around. She could see him. That was all he needed to know, so he bought a moment of Ran’s silence while she tried to figure out his odd behavior.

And a moment was all the Spirit Walker needed for his second very, very stupid decision of the evening.

He wasn’t who he use to be. He was a Grim Reaper. He was trying to fool the world into thinking that he was just a lost wandering human spirit, and not something that preyed on them. His hands shook.

If he took longer she’d notice his silence.

_I’m sorry, Kudo. I can only hope this doesn’t hurt like hell._

He used those ‘tendons’ as he called them earlier to Kudo and pulled on them.

He inversed their rolls. He became a spirit of a dead teenager, and Shinichi filled the shoes of the grim reaper - or as he had been - the spirit walker.

 _You have 30 seconds -_ He whispered to Shinichi as they passed each in the trade off - _Tell her what you need to._

And with that, 30 seconds started.

Shinichi was the Reaper. He stood as Kudo Shinichi in full sight of Mouri Ran in the foyer to his childhood house, and the Reaper was stuck trying to focus on losing control.

He wasn’t paying attention to Agasa, or what he was telling Agasa when he opened his mouth, “And if she does - who should I tell her you are?”

The Reaper just glanced at the bookshelf and stuck two names together, “Uh - Edogawa Conan?” He answered the apparently older man. The silence that earned him was a godsend. It had been centuries since he’d had a willing partner for this act. More often then not after all it lead to his shell consuming the other party involved after all.

~ ~ ~

“Shinichi..?” Ran whispered.

Shinichi froze, and he turned slowly to see Ran standing in front of him.

“Oh god,” He whispered. He pulled his hands out of his pockets, and he drew back. She was watching him. She could see him.

She thought he was Shinichi.

And she was confused by his behavior.

He grabbed her arms.

He could grab his arms. He wasn’t just a ghost to her, And he held her tight for a moment. He could feel the hot streaks burning down his face, “You need to leave,” He whispered softly. It sounded more like a pained hiss.

“What? No - Why?”

“Oh, God,” He answered, “I stumbled into a case, Ran. I stumbled into this god awful case, and you’re going to hurt if I even stumble it up for a moment.” He brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, “Oh, Ran…” He whispered softly. This soft whisper was soft and filled with longing.

“Shinichi?”

He pulled her in for their first kiss. It wasn’t long. Shinichi hadn’t meant for it to happen.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

Ran simply stared at him. She tried to pull up, close to his lips again. 

He pushed her away softly before stumbling back, “No, I’m so sorry. This case - It might has well be a death mark on me. Run, Ran. Run away and know that Kudo Shinichi is dead.”

He ran, awkwardly, stumbling away from the girl he wanted to love.

The moment he vanished from her line of sight, a closed library door slamming shut between them, that was when their 30 seconds together were up.

~ ~ ~

The Reaper slid down the door with a heavy pant as the tendons snapped them back into their proper positions again. He hadn't accidentally eaten the boy. That was good. He wasn't as rusty as he thought then.

Shinichi walked over to the door as the Reaper fought to regain control, he didn't need to breath but the human spirit inside him just a moment ago had told his shell that he'd needed it.

Shinichi stared at the door. He listened to Ran’s steps on the other side.

They got close to the door for just a moment. _Please._ The Reaper heard Shinichi's thoughts once more.  _No. Don't._

Then the steps ran to the front door, and she slammed the door shut behind her.

Shinichi didn’t look at the Reaper, but the panting man with Shinichi’s teenage face was watching the tears burn down the childish face Shinichi was forced to wear.

There was relief in his eyes, and a tremble in his voice as he whispered, “Thank you.”

The Reaper looked away from Shinichi, “Don’t thank me yet.”

“You know you’re not getting another one, right?” Shinichi grumbled.

“Fine then.” The Reaper mumbled, “But that wasn't what I meant-”

Shinichi rolled his eyes, and he turned to Agasa.

“No really,” The Reaper reached out a hand to touch his arm, to regain his attention, “There’s a bit of a back-”

Shinichi collapsed. Agasa could hear his snoring from the other side of the room.

“A bit of a back bite to it.” The Reaper whispered, "Especially when you're that size..."

The soft thump and snores could be heard through the door, and the Reaper heard something of his own through the door - steps. Ran hadn't actually left. 

Agasa was moving around. He was coming to Shinichi’s side to pick him, “No,” The Reaper muttered as Agasa continued to move, to make noise, unaware of the soft, feminine steps there were still had to be heard, "No," The Reaper kept muttering to himself as he rushed around the room.

There was no way she wouldn’t recognize the kid in Agasa’s arms.

She already had her hand on the door handle. She was turning it.

Agasa still hadn’t noticed it.

“No,” The Reaper muttered again as he started slamming drawers up and shut looking for something to put on Shinichi’s face.

Agasa froze.

So did Ran.

That was of slight relief to the Reaper. Maybe Ran would still leave - “Why didn’t she leave earlier though?” He screamed. No one heard him.

The door started swinging open again.

The Reaper pulled out the glasses from the bottom drawer. Yusaku’s glasses. He didn’t bother with popping out the lenses so the boy could see through him. If he didn’t wake up to the Reaper’s screaming - he wasn’t going to wake up for at another 14 hours - or so the Reaper was guessing.

He slid them onto Shinichi’s face when Ran entered the room. She had stolen the Professor’s attention away from the suddenly collapsing boy.

She stared at the boy with glasses, “Shinichi?” She asked despite the frail mask that the Reaper had slipped on to him.

“No, Ran?” Agasa mumbled, “Shinichi isn’t here?”

Ran looked up at Agasa, and she blinked like she was just seeing him for the first time, “What? But he-” She looked around. There was no trace of the teenager because the teenager had never been in the room. 

“No, Ran?” Agasa squinted at her with genuine confusion. The Reaper slammed his palm into his face. What a pickle he'd gotten them both into.

Ran looked down at the tiny bundle in Agasa’s arms, “Wh-?”

“This is Kudo’s cousin,” Agasa quickly adlibbed, “He was visiting me over at my place when he fell asleep. So I was bringing him back over here-”

“And Kudo isn’t here?” Ran bristled, “So does that mean you were going to leave a boy here alone?” She held her arms out, and the Reaper, if he’d had blood in his veins, felt his blood freeze as Agasa glanced down at Shinichi and back up at Ran, “I’ll take him home and watch over him for the night.”

“Ran, his parents think he’s going to be here-”

“He’ll be safer with me rather then on his own.”

“I -” Agasa knew he had nothing to say to that, and he relented. He handed over the boy with a sigh, “You’re right. It’s best if he goes with you-”

“How?” The Reaper screamed, “How is this a good idea?” He screamed even louder. He was honestly hoping his noise would wake up the boy even though he knew how tiring it was on one’s form to have different souls shoved into it.

“So, I’ll let Kudo know he’s over at your place - and their parents so everyone is aware. Does that sound good to you?” Agasa asked timidly.

Ran nodded, “Though I think you’ll have a hard time getting a hold of Shinichi,” She whispered under her breath. She pouted, and she pulled Shinichi close as her arms tightened around the boy in her arms, “What’s his name?”

“Conan Edogawa.”

“He really is related to Shinichi then, huh?” She whispered with a smirk before turning to the door and back to leaving the Kudo residence, "The whole family is made up of mystery otakus, isn't it?" She nuzzled up against the top of the boy's head. The warmth a small comfort on the pain of heart. 

The Reaper trailed behind her as she walked back to the detective agency she lived in, and he used every word in every language he knew for the situation he’d managed to get the boy into.

Shinichi was not going to be happy with him when he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... I've kinda just started posting whenever. Please comment if you'd rather have a schedule to 'em. Other wise I'm just going to start posting chapters whenever I feel that they are as ready as they can be.


	5. Death Bed : Explanations

14 Hours Later

~ ~ ~

It was noon when Shinichi woke up in the detective agency, and Shinichi knew the ceiling he was staring up at when he opened his eyes.

“Reaper.” He whispered. He froze. He didn’t know if Ran was in her-

“Her dad made her go to school,” The Reaper grumbled from the corner, “He said he’d watch you. Then he headed off to the pachinko parlor and left you here alone. It’s just the two of us.”

Shinichi sat up and he stared at the Reaper who was sitting in the corner of the room with his head buried between his legs.

“You look like a mess.” Shinichi whispered. He scooted about so he sitting up with a bit more ease.

“I wonder why,” The Reaper grumbled.

“You’re not the one that passed out.” Shinichi answered.

“I didn’t ask. I should have asked. All of it. I’ve gotten us into such a pickle.”

Shinichi stared at his Grim Reaper, “No duh.”

The Reaper glanced up at Shinichi, “Thanks.”

“Why the fit of depression?” Shinichi asked.

The Grim Reaper pointed at the other corner of the room, and Shinichi’s line of sight followed -

“I thought you said we were alone!” Shinichi hissed as he stared at the blond standing in the corner. She was clearly not from Asia as well.

She smiled, “Name is Kiroko,” She said with a hand held out to Shinichi, “I’m his boss.” 

Shinichi stared at the offtered hand, and Olivia laughed, “I’m safe to touch. I can’t undo what ever he did to put you back in that dead body.”

“Ah,” Shinichi breathed slowly as he accepted the offered hand, “So, um, what exactly did you say to him?”

She laughed again, “I just stared at him, and he realized exactly how deeply he buried the both of you. He tried to think through things-”

“But I don’t,” The Reaper moaned from the opposite corner, “If whoever is behind this is able to shrink a boy, and to change the paperwork… Ugh….”

“What is he going on about?”

“Well,” Kiroko sat beside Shinichi and her gaze watched the Reaper. She seemed to be really enjoying the Reaper’s discomfort, “Kudo here,” She said with a motion towards the reaper.

“Come again?” Shinichi coughed.

“His name? Didn’t he tell you it’s Kudo-”

“No,” The Reaper hissed, “I didn’t tell him my name. Do you think he’d be surprised then? You’re the one always criticizing me for not thinking it through.”

Kiroko blinked. Shinichi watched her expression. She hadn’t expected what she saw from the Reaper, Kudo, “Ah,” She ran her fingers through her thick curly hair, “You’re right. I suppose I could have inferred that.”

The Reaper stared at the Kiroko.

Kiroko shrugged, “Well, Kudo here, hasn’t told me anything,” She finally answered, “But, rumor is you’re connected to the immortality plots ya humans have been trying to scheme up. Or,” She quickly amended, “At least some of your lot has been trying to cook up. You’re the first lead we’ve had, and you were suppose to die. You, Kudo Shinichi, are a force to be reckoned with, and the sudden change in your paperwork caused my Kudo here to think that you might be worth keeping around.”

“Because it seems that there is someone out that doesn’t want that?” Shinichi asked. He gripped the blanket on this lap tightly. He didn’t look at Kiroko. He needed to think, but his brain couldn’t figure out if it wanted to handle figuring out the personal angle of this case or - or whatever else there was to this case.

“It seems that we have someone on the inside working with the mortals,” Kiroko confirmed, “I wouldn’t have agreed letting you stay. Did he tell you the dangers?”

“I can’t recall.” Shinichi answered honestly.

“I would be surprised if he did,” Kiroko chuckled. It was a vainly veiled attempt to lighten the mood, “He’s a Spirit Walker. That means he’s a denizen of the Other Realm. I don’t know what you call the supernatural - other wise I’d just refer to it as that-”

“Other is fine by me,” Shinichi quickly confirmed.

“Got it,” Kiroko nodded, “He’s not human as you know since he’s your Grim Reaper, but he’s not of my usual employ. I typically use a volunteer force of human souls that want to linger or see the world before they pass over.”

“What about him?”

“Spirit Walkers - due to their threat to Humanity and lack of explanation - cover for their actions - were all slated for the chopping block-”

Shinichi choked on air.

“Thanks for padding that,” The Reaper moaned from his still pouting corner.

“What do they do?” Shinichi asked softly.

“They steal the souls of men, and claim their identities as their own,” She answered softly.

Shinichi stared at the Reaper who didn’t look up at him.

“They also have extensive use of magic,” She continued when neither spoke, “They had near control over the spirits of those around them-”

“Stop,” The Reaper moaned like a bored four year old child.

“And they used that so they could manipulate them and put them in spots of isolation which only made trading spots so much easier.”

“What are you telling me this?” Shinichi asked softly.

“Cause he’s the only one left. Do you know why that is?”

“No.”

“It’s very simple. You can guess it.”

“You want me to guess then don’t you?”

“I’ll sit here all day waiting.”

“Then you can do that because I have no idea.”

She sighed, “Well, You’re in good hands here with my Kudo, Kudo.”  She stood up and brushed off her lap, “And I would appreciate your help with this case.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re keeping my best detective.”

Shinichi frowned.

“He’s the one you know - keeping your breathing.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

“For the inconvenience or for what you think that says about my department?”

“Both.” The Reaper grumbled, “He means both.”

Shinichi sighed, “As much as I would like to make some grandiose statement about the abuse of keeping me here- blackmailing me - I am a detective as much as I hate to admit it…”

Olivia clapped her hands together, “Fantastic!”

“Do you have any leads? The case is to find who poisoned me, sabotage their drugs development, and to find your leak right?”

“Right.”

“So any leads?”

“Not in the least,” The Reaper grumbled once more from his corner.

“Fantastic.” Shinichi grumbled from his spot on Ran’s bed.

“Maybe we don’t have any leads on that front,” Kiroko said with a smudge of smirk to her voice, “But we do know that Kaitou Kid is looking for Pandora and the officers on his case don’t know about that. He’s being shot at by a group dressed in the same black as your case’s leads.”

“So maybe that will be a connection.”

“Pandora is a mythical stone with stories connecting it to immortality.” Kiroko added in a cheer that odd for the information being provided.

“Stories? So they’re not true?” Shinichi raised an eyebrow, and so did the Grim Reaper, finally looking up from the cloth on his arms.

Kiroko laughed, “Time distorts every story,” She smiled at Shinichi, and she glanced at her Kudo, “And I won’t keep you boys any longer,” Her gaze lingered on Shinichi. He had never noticed how red her eyes were, “You have very important work to do after all.” Her smile widened, and her eyes closed. Shinichi found his breath caught in his lungs. He took a deep breath, and Kiroko disappeared.

Shinichi looked at the Grim Reaper, “So your is Kudo what exactly?”

The Grim Reaper frowned at the boy, “That’s just what she calls me. Spirit Walkers don’t have names.”

“Oh?” Shinichi was oddly intrigued by this tidbit, “And why is that?”

“Because typically just steal the names of our victims.”

“Oh.”

“If it means any sort of comfort, Kudo is a thing Kiroko has been calling me that long before she was even put in the position to be my boss. It has nothing to do with you.”

Shinichi squished his brow, “So what’s your full name then?” He asked.

The Reaper shrugged, “I’d rather talk about the fact we’re in Ran’s room.” Shinichi froze, “You forgot about that didn’t you?” The Grim Reaper groaned. Shinichi’s lack of an answer was answer enough, “Want me to start from the beginning?” He asked.

Shinichi curled up in the same ball the Reaper was in, “No. I’m guessing she didn’t really leave, and Agasa got pinned in a corner.”

“Yep.” The Reaper replied weakly.

“So.” Shinichi sighed, “I guess we’re going to have to find the Kaitou Kid then, huh?”

“Yeah,” The Reaper nodded, not that Shinichi knew. His head was still buried in his arms.

“So if Kudo’s your name-”

“Agh. I’m not answering anything about what Kiroko calls me.”

Shinichi groaned, and then his stomach moaned as well.

“Do you think Ran has something to eat in the kitchen?” Shinichi asked finally looking back up at the Reaper. The Reaper looked up, “Eh, Kudo?”

The Reaper buried his head back in his arms, “I’m done. Done!” He groaned.

Shinichi smirked, “So I know Kudo is a last name-”

“Lalallalalalala,” The Reaper plugged his ears.

And Shinichi laughed. He stood up, and he motioned for the Reaper to follow him, “We should get something to eat.”

“You,” He grumbled as he floated behind Shinichi, unmoved from his curled up shape of a ball, “You need something to eat. Not me.”

Shinichi rolled his eyes, “Whatever,” He grumbled as he stumbled around the corner into the room that held Mori’s work desk and the kitchen. The duo wandered into the kitchen in silence and started looking through the cabinets and drawers.

“So what are we looking for?” Kudo asked.

Shinichi shrugged, “Food.”

“Yes, but what does that mean?” The Reaper mumbled through gritted teeth.

Shinichi froze and he turned to the taller man, “Kudo - You don’t know what food is?”

“I do - but like,” He motioned to the cabinet he was currently holding open, “I don’t know what you need from out of here.”

Shinichi stared, “Woah.”

The Reaper rolled his eyes, “It’s not like I need to pay attention when you’re cooking. I can’t learn anything from that after all!”

“Oi,” Shinichi grumbled. He rolled his eyes. Kudo was right. He couldn’t cook for the life of him. 

He could have phrased that thought better.

He opened the fridge, or at least he tried to reach the handle. Kudo slide over, literally, and he easily opened the door for the shrunken form. Shinichi looked up at the Reaper, “Thanks.” He told him drily.

The Reaper raised his hands in defense. He had literally none nothing but help, “I’m sorry - I thought-”

“Agh,” Shinichi moaned as he turned to the cold in front of him. He stepped up on the rim of the fridge and grabbed a covered bowl filled with leftover ramen that would only need to be reheated. He looked up to see if - There. There was a pitcher of Ran’s Special Iced Coffee. He reached up to grab that as well. His fingers barely brushed it. There was no way for him to safely grab it.

“Do you want me to grab that?” The Reaper asked with folded arms, “Or are you just going to get mad at me for trying to help?”

Shinichi took a deep breath, “I’m sorry,” He hissed, “I’m still trying to sort out the situation  _ you _ put me in. So, yes, if you want me to think straight - grab the damned coffee.”

Shinichi didn’t look at the Reaper. He didn’t him pick up the pitcher and pour the boy the cup of the coffee Ran made with him in mind. He marched over the counter with the microwave, slide the bowl up on the counter, and then he lifted himself up onto the counter beside the bowl, slide it into the microwave and started to reheat it.

Kudo handed Shinichi the poured cup of coffee, and Shinichi with a trembling hand took it. He just stared at the coffee. He didn’t move.

“Oi, Kudo,” The Reaper grumbled with soft spot of concern, “Don’t break down on me now.”

_ I didn’t think I’d see her like this. _

“You could still run. You could run from here before she gets back from school.”

_ And how am I suppose to find Kaitou Kid if I’m living on the street? How am I suppose to do anything that way? _

“I- I don’t know.”

_ I can’t go home. They’ll be watching there since I’m sure they’ve noticed a lack of a body by now. _

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think this would happen like this.”

_ Really? You have so many cards close to your chest, Kudo. _

The Reaper sighed, “Please don’t call me that.” 

“Why?”

“Do you want to know why you only had 30 seconds?”

Shinichi didn’t move. He was a smart kid. He didn’t look up at the Reaper. 

“Because if it had been so much as a moment longer then that I would be the one stuck in that form, and you? Well, you won’t have died. You would be here in these shoes with no recollection of - anything,” It was more complicated then that, but, as long as Shinichi knew to be terrified of it, he didn’t care about explaining it more in depth.

“So, we’re not doing that again?” Shinichi said with a note of hope in his voice.

“Not unless we have to.”

_ And why would we have to do that? _

“Because I might have to hide in that skin as well. Don’t worry, Kudo. You are my foremost priority.”

_ Why? _

“Because I’m not a monster, Shinichi...”

Shinichi chugged the coffee in one go. His eyes widen as he set the mug down. The caffeine went straight into his veins, “Perhaps I shouldn’t have done that.”

The Reaper laughed, “Don’t worry. I won’t let your heart explode.” That sent Shinichi into a fit of staring at the Reaper. The Reaper wasn’t kidding, and Shinichi started twitching.

“Do you know what’s so special about this coffee?”

“That Ran makes it just for you because she barely likes the stuff?”

Shinichi nodded, “Yeah. It’s very, very caffeinated.”

“Great.”

Shinichi jumped down from the counter, and he started making laps around the isle.

The Reaper laughed as the small boy started running.

Shinichi laughed as well when he tripped over his own feet, “Oh,” Shinichi moaned, “How did it come to this?”

“I don’t know,” Kudo answered, “But, Kudo, I’m never letting you drink that much coffee at once again.” Shinichi held a thumbs up in agreement to that.

“I know where a nearby park is,” Shinichi moaned from the ground, “I think that sounds like a good place to go right now.”

And the Reaper couldn’t help but agree with that sentiment.

~ ~ ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter in this arc here guys, I hope you guys like it, and then it's onto some Kaitou Kid~!


	6. Death Bed : Conculsion

Kudo no longer agreed with it when Shinichi curled up on a park bench to sleep after the caffeine crash.

~ ~ ~

The Reaper stared at the tiny form beside him, and he jumped when he glanced up at an approaching form headed their way, “Ran?” He whispered.

How did she-?

She stood with a jacket, hands in her pockets holding it close as she looked down at the tiny boy with glasses. A soft smile was a ghost on her face, and she pulled her hands out of her pockets slowly before gently picking up the boy.

She held him close again as she had last night, and Kudo trailed behind them as they walked in silence back to the agency.

~ ~ ~

It wasn’t long before the motion woke up Shinichi, and, through tired eyes, he looked up to see Ran holding him. He smiled, small and reluctant, before going back to sleep.

~ ~ ~

Ran sighed. The Reaper shared sympathies for her. This kid and his stubborn over reaching hands was going to be the death of both of them. She set the boy down when they got to the door of the agency, and Shinichi finally rubbed at his eyes, allowed himself to wake up. Ran glanced down as she pulled out her keys out of her pocket and started to wrestle with the lock to the door, “Someone is a sound sleeper, huh?” She whispered with her eyes not looking away from the tiny Shinichi at her feet. He nodded and the door opened without a sound, “Here we go, Conan,” She said with a smile as she watched the door swing out of her reach, “You’ll be staying with us since Shinichi’s currently pulling a vanishing act.”

“What about Professor Agasa?” He asked through a yawn so wide that if Kudo hadn’t been connected to how buzzed Shinichi’s mind was would have made him fall asleep as well, ”He’s nice and if Shinichi does come home-”

“You, young sir,” She answered, “Are too much for him to handle on his own while he’s working. I’m the only other one in town that’s close enough to family to take care of you,” She closed her mouth, and she slammed her fist into the wall, “I swear when Shinichi gets back-”

She stopped talking the moment the Reaper walked by her, following Shinichi into the room.

“What- ho-”

“What is it, Ran?” Shinichi cut her off, “Is there a reason you stopped?” She stared at the Reaper, at Kudo who was currently wearing Kudo’s real face, standing beside Shinichi, Conan as she had called him. They were mirrors of the other, turned towards her, confused. There was no way -

Ran pointed at the Reaper. Conan - Shinichi’s lie, his act - couldn’t see the Reaper. It hurt but he had to say it as his line of sight followed where she was trying to draw attention to. The Reaper froze when both were staring right at him, “There’s nothing there, Ran?”

Ran started to tremble, “Ho-”

The Reaper held a finger up to his lips, and Ran swallowed. She had seen him last night, and now she could see him now. He knew she was drawn to the supernatural. That was why he’d even thought of the stunt he’d pulled last night, but this was ridiculous. He was intentionally trying to muffle his prescene around her. Perhaps that was she more attuned to him now that Shinichi was also of the supernatural realm - and she was constantly being espoused to it with the both of them being near her. “We need to check for bugs before we do anything else.”

Shinichi stared at the Reaper. _What?_

“That door is never quiet,” Kudo answered, “You saw how Ran braced it as she opened it. It should have made noise.”

. Ran stared at the Reaper. She saw his lips move, but couldn’t hear his words. Other wise she would have asked why he, Kudo Shinichi, was talking about her like he didn’t know her. She swallowed, and her hands were trembling more actively as ‘Conan’ stared at her not reacting to the Reaper standing beside him, “Ran? Are you okay?” Shinichi asked slowly. He shoved his hands into his own pockets to hide their trembling.

The Reaper didn’t need to be a genius to guess at what she was doing - the girl was sending up a silent prayer to Shinichi - hoping against hope that what she was seeing wasn’t his ghost.

Conan stopped looking around the room.

He had heard that. He looked at Ran. Her eyes were closed as well as her mouth. But those hopes were screaming in his head. “Ran?”

“You’re a dead man possessing a body that I’m keeping alive,” The Reaper told him softly, “Of course you can hear her prayers for the dead.”

Shinichi swallowed, and he grabbed the hem of Ran’s shirt, “Miss, Miss. Ran, I’m hungry.”

He would say anything to get the prayers to stop.

Her attention shifted to the boy in front of her, and she smiled, “Of course! Lets get something fixed up for you right away.” She glanced back at where the Reaper was and saw nothing. She sighed, “And maybe a little something for me too if I’m seeing things…”

Conan pretended not to hear her, but his heart missed a beat anyways.

~ ~ ~

They were watching the news as they ate. Ran was eerily silent, but Conan wasn’t feeding the conversations so it had pattered out awhile ago. The Reaper was bored. This wasn’t why he followed Conan around, “Wanna leave the house?” He asked when the clock to him had stopped measuring time and started measuring his madness, “Maybe you’ll stumble across a murder mystery that way. That would be entertaining...” Gotta waste some sort of time while they waited for a heist note to go out.

_So sorry you find this boring._

The Reaper sighed and he went back to watching the clock, “Girls like it when small children show them attention…”

_I’m not your entertainment._

~ ~ ~

When the six o’clock news came one the first lines out of the news reporter’s mouth captured Conan and Kudo’s attention, “Today we have received a copy of a Kaitou Kid heist note-”

“Miss.Ran!” Conan started bouncing in his seat, “Do you think we could get to the heist?”

“Huh?” Ran muttered as she looked up from the food she was playing with. Her daze had been shattered, “What was that, Conan?”

The Reaper put his face in his hands. Shinichi was stumbled over his own tongue, “Do you think we could get to go and see the heist?” He finally managed to repeat.

“Eh, Why would you want to go to see a criminal?” Ran asked.

Shinichi stopped bouncing, and the Reaper was just about to cry. The kid hadn’t thought that far and now he was dropping his pseudo childhood energy, “Don’t you think Shinichi might be there? I mean, he fights crime, right?” Shinichi asked.

The Reaper slammed his forehead into the table. Luckily the mention of Shinichi meant neither of them noticed the slight tremble of wood between them.

Ran perked slightly, but then she shook her head, “I- I’ll see if Sonoko is going…” She muttered.

“Young ladies like it when children show them attention, ‘Conan.’” The Reaper grumbled, “You’re heart is bleeding over her state. All you have to do is dote on her as Conan, and it _will_ help her, Shinichi.”

Conan froze. He didn’t want Ran to show him attention - he didn’t want Conan to be someone in her eyes. That way she wouldn’t even say goodbye when the time came for him to leave her again, “No,” He accidently whispered his response aloud.

“Hm?” Ran muttered, she was busy texting Sonoko asking about the newest heist, “Did you say something?” She glanced up and raised an eyebrow, “Did you change your mind about wanting to see a heist?”

“No!” He screamed. He couldn’t keep the panic from his voice.

He was losing it, the Reaper realized. He wasn’t handling being near Ran - not like this.

“I’m sorry, kid,” The Reaper grumbled. He touched the back of Conan’s head, and the boy yawned, before slumping in the chair. The Reaper glanced to the side, and he saw the boy’s spirit glaring at him.

“What is this?” Shinichi looked like he was ready to flip a table.

“You were about to have a seizure, Kudo.”

“That’s not for you to decide, _Kudo_.”

“Actually. _It is_.” The Reaper pointed at the slumped form, “And I think this is proof of that.”

“Tsk.”

Ran looked up from Conan after she had rushed to his side. She bit her lip. It looked like she was straining to hear something.

“What is that anyways?” Shinichi snapped, “She saw you earlier, didn’t she? How is that even possible.”

“I honestly don’t know -”

“How can you not know?” Shinichi reached out to grabbed the Grim Reaper, who simply leaned back to avoid the boy’s grip.

“Well this isn’t a very common occurrence, ‘kay, kid?” He snapped back, “Maybe it’s because she’s so close to death-”

“Oh?” Shinichi lunged at the Spirit Walker.

“Not like that!” He shouted as he rolled out of the way, “Physically near death.” The Reaper jabbed Shinichi in the shoulder as he had his back turned to the Grim Reaper, “You. This. And you’re both connected by a lot of time spent thinking on the other so she’s simply more sensitive to your presence. She’s not about to die. At least not that I’m aware of. Last I knew she had just as long a life expectancy you had.”

“Is that why she saw me last night?”

“Yes.” Shinichi took a deep breath as he started to calm down, “She’s also naturally sensitive to the supernatural. Everyone is in some way or another - and ghosts -”

“Are right up her alley since she’s always been near me - the death magnetic.”

The Reaper nodded, “That would be my guess anyways.”

“She’s staring right at us.”

“Do you want to be seen?”

“Not like this.”

“Then for the most part we’re fine. She can at most _maybe_ see me-”

“You don’t know?”

“Not at all. She can’t hear me unless I focus on connecting with her though. Last night was a lot of focusing.”

“She’s praying again…” Shinichi rubbed the sides of his foreheads.

“I’m sorry, Kudo.”

“Yeah. So am I. Can just we tell her?”

“How do you think she’ll react?”

“I think, she’s already fearing the worse and obviously I can’t function while lying to her.”

“And you handled the Professor with such ease…”

“He’s not the one I can’t deduce.”

“What?”

Shinichi sighed, “I can’t deduce what’s in her heart. Every action - so sweet - but always unique. That’s why I never risked it. I didn’t want to ruin my relationship with her by want it to be more if she didn’t. I love her, Kudo. That’s reason enough to tell her... About this… Isn’t it?”

The Reaper sighed, “You really are a lost cause with this girl, aren’t you?”

Shinichi swallowed. “Apparently so.”

“I need you to be in one piece, and as a partner I can’t carry your dead weight around.” The Reaper motioned towards Ran, “If you can’t function without her knowing what happened to you then tell her. Tell her the truth.” The Reaper didn’t tell Shinichi that he was focusing all of his will on Ran, just like how he had the night before, and Shinichi was trying to block out her prayers. He didn’t see her eyes lift upwards. He just took a breath of relief as her prayers started to fade away.

“Tell her the truth,” The Reaper continued, “Of how you’re _just a ghost with a grim reaper keeping your shrunken child sized body alive_ . How you didn’t mean to leave her - how you thought youth meant immortality and now in exchange you’re searching for the people that did this because they are seeking the _literal_ immortality. They tested it on you and it failed. You died, and you almost left her behind. But you made a deal - _you were pressured into a deal_ \- into a working relationship with a lazy grim reaper that didn’t want to find these people on his own. Go on, Tell her. Tell her that I’m you’re only chance at getting back to the land of the living - that we’re currently working with a very haphazard method - that’s been working just fine for now - but you just want to hold her, kiss her again. Love her, and that I used that to force you into a snap decision that might risk your very soul,” The Reaper put his hand to his face, ran his fingertips down the side of his face like a slider revealing his first appearance that had no description other then a hollow feeling of nothing. Shinichi looked away from the Reaper - and he stared at Ran with his mouth open and slack while she stared at him with tears in her eyes. Her hands went to her mouth with the horror of everything Shinichi was slowly realizing she heard.

“Shinichi…?” Ran whispered.

He took a step back, and he threw a look at the Reaper that had slowly been growing on him, “Tell her.” The Reaper hissed, “Tell her so we can get back to work. Tell her that this moment is fleeting, and that soon you’ll wake up in that tiny shrunken form and that if she wants both of you to live - you’ll both have to pretend that this never happened. Because they could be watching. They could know, and once they do-”

Ran’s hands stopped shaking, and they slowly fell to her side.

“Just tell the girl-”

“I love you, Ran. I don’t want you to die.” Shinichi whispered. He reached out a hand to touch her cheek. She pulled away slightly from the chill, but then she grabbed his hand and held it to her cheek, “If you tell me to leave. I will.”

“Shinichi.” She whispered, “What happened?”

“Those men in the black outfits - on the roller coaster. I followed them. That’s why I left you.” His voice cut off. He didn’t regret the action. It was who he was, but he regretted everything that had followed it, “They saw me, and they poisoned me.”

“So you died?” She asked softly.

He nodded, “When I died, then my grim reaper blackmailed me. He threatened you-”

“You didn’t have to-”

“What?” Ran quickly cut off the Reaper’s protests.

“He said if I didn’t come back then he’d come back for me and that he’d simply take over my life, and if that meant in his investigation he found an antidote to the shrinking  - that he would take over as Shinichi and - and that you’d never know the difference between the two of us.”

Ran shivered as she looked over slowly at the other Kudo Shinichi in the room, “So you tricked him? To come back to life?”

The Reaper looked away from, “I couldn’t let him pass.”

“Why?”

“At this point, does it matter, Ran?” He asked softly.

Ran looked away, “So what are you trying to do now? With Kaitou Kid?”

“He’s a lead to unraveling the mystery. The people that killed me - they’re, they’re most likely after a immortality,” Shinichi mumbled as he wrapped his arms around her, “They want me to figure out the how and where and exactly who.”

“So they blackmailed you to stay because you’re a detective?”

“Perks of being Heisei Holmes,” Shinichi grumbled in response.

Ran chuckled in response, “Agasa called you Edogawa Conan…”

“Yeah,” Shinichi nodded, his face still in her hair, “I have to lie. They think I’m dead after all. I can’t let them get the upper hand without knowing anything about them.”

“And you would let them get the upper hand if they did?” Ran mumbled.

“Well,” Shinichi admitted, “I didn’t plan on staying after my death…”

“So that’s why you…”

“... Said what I did?” Shinichi finished when she didn’t, “Yeah.” He answered, “Yeah, It is.”

“So now we lie then? To the world?” She muttered into his neck.

She felt him nodding as he held her tighter, trying to bury himself in her, in this warm embrace they’d never had when he was alive. They had always had tomorrow to tell the other the truth.

“I love you,” Shinichi whispers again as if he’ll never tire of tell her those words.

“Tell me that again when Sonoko can hear you, Shinichi.” Gentle tone, gentle words - a strike to his heart. There was work to be done and a prize to earn.He had felt the shaking tone in her voice. This one event had changed them. Shinichi pulled back, and he rubbed her cheek. He looked into her eyes. There was no way now that he’d let her loose him again. He would let himself curse himself for making that realization later. Now, He merely enjoyed the sight of her eyes looking up into his as they lingered in a moment that they knew they’d have to leave eventually.

“I think he’s told me everything, Grim Reaper.” Ran muttered. Her eyes never left Shinichi’s.

The Reaper nodded, and slowly Shinichi faded away and Conan woke up. The Reaper vanished from Ran’s sight, and Ran flooffed Conan’s hair, “Silly thing. You’re suppose to sleep in a bed and not in at the dining room table.”

Conan pouted, “I wanna go to the heist.”

Ran sighed, “I still haven’t texted Sonoko to ask if we can -”

“Why can’t we go with your dad?” He whined. The Reaper raised an eyebrow at that sentiment - after all it didn’t matter who they went with-

Ran laughed, full and hearty, “Somethings never change, huh? Well, I can tell you - even if you’re scared of girls, Conan, Sonoko’s family is the one that got the heist note. Wouldn’t you rather just the two of us-”

“She got the note?” Conan cut her off and his cheeks did not give away his pink fluster like his heart did, “Why did her family get the note?”

“She’s a big fan of the thief - and her uncle has the Bright Star of Morning in his collection. He’s about to put it in a gallery and dared the thief to steal it. Apparently, it’s the not the first theft between the two. Told Kaitou Kid something along the lines of if the last one wasn’t good enough to keep then perhaps this one is - if you can get past my security. It really just sounds like he’s using KID to check his security instead of working a firm…”

Conan stared at Ran, “So you think we can go?” His smile was diamonds.

Ran sighed, “I still haven’t finished the text you punk!”

The Reaper smirked, apparently the truth had a way of going about and fixing broken things.


	7. Kaitou Kid : Heist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who else finds Akako's initial interactions with Kaito solidly in the creeps zone? #raises hand 
> 
> So - Let's make it an very long and awkward ongoing joke so Akako can be the character that I want her to be in this story. 'Cause I just need to get that angle of her dynamic with Kaito worked out - and out of the plot. #sweeping it out of the plot with hopefully some sort of graceful ease.
> 
> #innocent whistle - And that was my way of disclaiming for joking about Akako's implied potential to rape Kuroba - and in this case Conan as well. 
> 
> Let's get this show on the road!

Three days later and one finally comfortable Conan and Ran duo later, the three of them are walking up the steps to the art gallery alongside the police force that followed Kaitou Kid to all of his thefts. Conan sighed. 20 years chasing the thief, granted they had had an 8 or so years of a break - and they still used the same tactics as they had from the beginning. Shinichi remembered the clock heist. At least Kaitou Kid varied up his modus operandi sometimes. 

Shinichi glanced at Kudo, and he shivered. He thought the Grim Reaper wearing his face was something he’d get use to, but it was only getting more bizarre as time went on. 

“So,” The Reaper glanced about, making sure not to accidently bump into someone - for a reason Shinichi didn’t know, he was a ghost after all, wasn’t he? -  “You think he’ll be trying to escape via the roof?”

Shinichi nodded,  _ Glass roof, he’ll drop in that way and fly out on the same route. _

“Not literally I hope.”

_ He’s walked on air before. I wouldn’t it past him to figured something out, but yeah, probably nothing more then mundane use of rope. _

“Be on toes?”

_ Especially, if he _ is _ after Pandora. We don’t know if he’s working with  _ them,  _ against  _ them,  _ or on his own,   _ Shinichi threw his reaper a side long glance,  _ Do you think he’ll notice you? Do we really have the benefit of surprise? _

“From what we’ve seen in research, I would say we do, but I’ll know for sure when I see him.”

_ Good. _

“We may have more surprises tonight.” The Reaper admitted.

_ Hm? _

“No one in my realm will recognize your face, nor will they have an easy time as recognizing me as something else as long as I don’t give myself away. I have your face for a reason, Kudo Shinichi. I am so tightly bound to both your soul and body that even I am having a hard time keeping myself from recognizing myself as yourself.”

_ That was something I need not need to know -  _  Kudo cut off his train of thought before diving into the Reaper’s secrets.

Kudo smirked at the tiny detective, “Well then, now we just have to sit back and -” They stepped over the threshold to the museum. Kudo stopped, “Shite.” He whispered.

_ … ‘Shite’?  _ Shinichi repeated slowly.

“I’m not going in. You’re not going in.  _ We’re not going in there. _ There’s a  _ witch _ . We can’t. We’re not. Nope.  _ Just nope, Shinichi _ . That is -”

_ Just take a breath will you? _ Shinichi pulled at Ran’s hand. They took a step back out from threshold. Ran profusely apologized to the guard assuring him that they’d be right back.

“What is it, Conan?” Ran finally asked when Shinichi had stopped pulling away from the door.

“Apparently there has been a change in plans.” He muttered through gritted teeth.

Ran gritted her teeth as well, “I’ll tell Sonoko you got a tummy ache.”

Shinichi watched her pout and huff off.

“Ouch,” Kudo muttered, “Apparently she’s not actually taking this well.”

_ Oh, hardy har. I mean, Kudo. Think about what happened the last time I left her to work on a case. _

“That is a very valid point,” Kudo conceded quickly, “I’ll stop judging her now.”

_ Thank you.  _ Shinichi took a deep breath,  _ So what  _ are _ we doing now? _

“Oi, oi,” Kudo muttered, “It’s not like I’m putting us into a bit of a pickle. We know where he’s going, don’t we? We just have to stake out there rather then in there” Kudo pointed at the door, “So that means…”

_ We go to the roof _ .

“Exactly.”

_ So just how exactly do you think we’ll go about doing  _ that _ from out here? _

Kudo swallowed, “Well, um.”

Shinichi pinched the bridge of his nose,  _ That was about what I was expecting you to say. _

“Oi, oi… I do have a heart.”

_ Yes. You’re possessing mine. Which is still  _ weird _. _ Shinichi sighed.  _ How far apart can we be? _

“Well…”

_ You have no idea do you? _

“Pretty much.”

Shinichi took a deep calming breath,  _ Please tell me you at least see where I was headed with that. _

“I can. You thought I’d let you go inside. You’re not leaving my sight kid. Not with the witch nearby.”

_ So then what are we going to do from out here? _

Kudo rolled his eyes, “For a kid you’re quite wound up at the moment, Conan-kun.”

Shinichi ran his hand over his face. The last three days of his life had been, ironically, the longest three days of his life. Kudo put his hand to his chest as they walked over to the side of the building, “Again with the mean words.” Kudo started to float upwards.

_ Just do your job,  _ Shinichi grumbled. He needed a drink and for some reason Ran had banned him from his drink of choice - coffee. Now it was only orange juice for him. And it was not strong enough to handle anything, other then maybe rotting his teeth.

“Yeah, That, I really am sorry about,” Shinichi rubbed the side of his head. It was still weird hearing Kudo inside his head when he couldn’t hear him outside of it. Even weirder was when he felt him shrug.

Even through the stone and walls, Shinichi could hear Nakamori-keibu shouting at Kid,  _ Well, I guess that’s our cue... _

“I see him coming up - as - Shite.”

_ So many swears from the ghost. _

“Reaper,” Kudo somehow managed to mutter a correction before his concern came out, “You’re the ghost, Shinichi. And we’re gonna have a wild ride tonight.”

_ What do you mean? _

“The witch was after  _ him _ .”

_ Shite. _

“That’s not even the half of it. Can anyone see you?”

Shinichi glanced around. There was no one he could see.  _ Not that I can tell of-  _  And that was when his feet left the ground.  _ I think I spoke too soon earlier. I think, I should have saved that ‘shite’ for right now. _

“Oh - You have no idea.”

~ ~ ~ 

Shinichi was standing on the roof of the museum beside Kudo and the world around them was gripped by shades of gray, accents were made with a crimson red. It was jarring to see Kaitou Kid in such coloration. It was jarring to see him hanging above the glass roof like a fly stuck in a spider’s web, and completely passed out. A woman dressed in red, and Shinichi guessed that that was indeed color of choice and not the magic in the air, stood in front of Kid with her back to the duo.

“She can’t hear us.”

_ Why not? _

“I’m not actually talking at the moment, Shinichi. You’re too use to me talking inside your head.”

_ What is she doing? _

“She’s trying to enchant the boy.”

Shinichi felt a shiver go down his back,  _ Can she do that? _

“More easily to the two of us then to that boy.”

Shinichi looked up his Reaper,  _ What does that mean? _

“Look at him,” Kudo got down to Shinichi’s level and pointed at the phantom thief, “Really look at him. Tell me what you see.”

Shinichi turned his focus at the Kid and - He shivered. There was another Kaitou Kid, taller and older, in the same position.

“He’s possessed too.”

_ Reaper? _

“Nah, kid. Reapers can’t do that. I’m not even technically possessing you though most would have a hard time making that distinction. That man is a soul though - one that managed to escape being reaped… Which is nearly impossible.” Kudo’s voice gained an air of respect, “That boy must of really wanted him to come back to life.”

_ So, it’s his dad? _

“Wh-” Kudo turned to Shinichi with wide eyes, “What makes you say that?”

Kudo grimaced,  _ They’re both wearing the same outfit, the same identity, but the thief has been missing for nearly a decade… You called him a boy. If he called out to him back then - _

“When he first lost him…” Kudo blew out a long breath, “You really are a detective.”

Shinichi almost made some cocky comment to cover his bruised ego, but he looked at Kudo and he saw sincere respect. Instead, he shoved his hands in his pockets and grimaced. He had been blackmailed for a reason - there was no reason for the surprise.

“But, only a father would go to such lengths to protect his son… I guess he was murdered...”

Now, it was Shinichi’s turn to stare at his counterpart in surprise,  _ What makes you say that? _

“To vanish from your reaper means giving up passing over - forever at worse or until, well, until that boy’s reaper comes to pick him up. If the boy was your size and he came when called instead of tightening his jaw and moving on - because children, real children unlike yourself, simply don’t know or understand what it really means to lose someone, but he took the cry seriously. That means whoever is after him - or was I suppose - he thought they would go after his son.”

_ Do you think  _ they _ might be the same people? _

“It would provide a connection. But, I doubt it. There are a lot of things out there that get the wrong people mad at a phantom thief.”

Shinichi sighed,  _ Would have made it easier for us I suppose. _

“Yeah,” Kudo started patting Shinichi’s arm, “But, look, look at what she’s doing.”

_ Waving her arms about? _

“We’ve been talking forever and she’s _ still _ trying to enchant him. That’s some major power if she’s not getting tired and giving up.”

Shinichi snorted,  _ What - does that mean she has some sort of deal with the devil? _

Both of their faces paled as the witch turned around. The ghost of a thief looked up as well. He stared at the shrunken Shinichi with a flabbergasted look on his face.

“I’m warping the magic to cover my presence - don’t need to tell the world it managed not to kill of a single Spirit Walker after all - but she can see that you’re not quite yourself, not quite human. So keep that in mind, and don’t give me away. We do not want to toy with a witch - not one like her.”

Shinichi waved, “I thought I saw Kaitou Kid headed this way. I’m here for his arrest.”

Kudo stared at Shinichi with newfound respect. 

The Witch laughed, “What’s your name, boy?”

“Conan Edogawa.” Shinichi answered as he slowly bounced to her side, “What are you doing to Kid, Neechan?”

“Conan Edogawa?” She whispered. She seemed lost in thought, “‘A boy with half a soul will steal your heart and risk your prize. Beware, when the world is red on grey, you shall never be the same’,” She muttered. Shinichi could feel Kudo tense, “That was what Lord Lucifer told me... “ She looked at the unconscious Kaitou Kid, “I thought he was talking about you, Kuroba. Only a half soul could resist enchantments after all, and I thought you were the only one...” She looked back down at the boy, and her hands went down to her side as she straightened up, “But it does seem that there’s another one.”

Shinichi didn’t let her intimate him, but he wasn’t sure he could say the same for Kudo, “Arere~? What was that, Neechan?” She reached out for Shinichi, and he pulled away slightly, “Have I already stolen your heart  _ that _ much?” His eyes wide with a full knowledge of the implication.

She froze and stared at the boy in front of her, “What?”

“Why is Niichan  _ sleeping _ ?”

“You’re not going to ask about why he’s floating?”

“I’m also not asking why the world is red on grey.” Shinichi answered.

Shinichi’s eyes were a blood red accent on grey that caused the witch to miss a beat, “Edogawa.” Her voice found layer. He could hear the witch’s voice in it as well as Ran’s, his Mother’s, Kudo’s, Agasa’s, and - “I think it’s time for you to leave me alone with the thief.”

“Arere~ Why would I do that Neechan? Why would I leave you with a sleeping boy? I mean -”

“Co-Conan isn’t your name?” She stuttered cutting him off.

“You were talking about something earlier… About your whole world changing? Perhaps it’s time for you to let me arrest Kid.”

“That’s not why you’re here.”

“I’m a detective. It’s why I’m here.”

“You’re looking for Pandora.”

Shinichi raised an eyebrow. He didn’t miss a beat, “Pandora? Like the Greek legend? A box? What would that have to do with Kid?”

The witch looked the boy up and down. She could see something, but she couldn’t make out what sort of infestation of the spiritual kind had attached to him. She was intrigued, “I don’t care. My enchantment on you didn’t work either. Perhaps I’m losing my touch.”

“Or perhaps it requires a name?” Kaitou Kid was a awake now. She’d been too distracted and let part of it slip while she was trying to work on the other boy, “I keep telling you. I’m not Kuroba Kaito.”

Kudo snorted. “He most certainly is. Remember the research we did on the thief with Ran?”

_ One of the newspapers - Kuroba Touichi’s death was in the same week as Kid’s last heist, the one that he missed. _

“And he had a son.” Kudo added to Shinichi’s train of thought.

_ We’re both detectives then? _ Shinichi glanced up at Kuroba. An emotional mask was the first thing he saw. Magicians and sleight of hand - it was a poker face. He didn’t know. He wasn’t aware. He was just like Shinichi three days ago. Innocent towards the unknown.

“Kiroko did mention that already, Kudo. So just what did he do to get the attention of a witch?”

_ He messed up an enchantment. _

“Arere,” Shinichi stole the attention away from their, what had turned into, childish bickering about who the thief really was behind the mask, “Did he mess up an enchantment too? Is that why you want me to leave him allow with you when he was vulnerable?”

The color left both faces, and the witch floundered for words, “You’re - You - No -  _ It isn’t like that. _ ”

“Akako?” The thief’s voice was barely a whisper, “I just turned down your valentine’s day chocolate. It’s hardly a personal offense. I know you like boys fawning over you, but isn’t this just  _ a bit much _ ?”

Shinichi and Kudo put their hands to their faces. _ Way to confirm, Kid. Way to confirm to the witch. _

Akako didn’t focus on that. She was just trying to say something, “But he has - That’s not why! I mean, I was flustered, and I might have gone a little too far last time-”

“You mean, the first time or the second time you tried to make me your slave?”

Shinichi twitched and Kudo started walking away, “ _ This is not a witch we’re toying around with, Kudo _ .”

“I - I mean, I can’t say that I didn’t try that then - but - ” Akako admitted.

_ She still failed,  _ Shinichi reminded the retreating Reaper.

“But, what, Akako?” Kuroba spat, “ _ You’re not to stubborn too not give up? _ If I was a brick wall and you were trying to get through it by beating in your head against it - could you really say that you wouldn’t stop trying with that impossibility?”

“Because his father was there - is here!” Kudo screamed, “I’m not that sort of a magical protection for you! Minor enchantments yes - and you are still dead - but I can still be enchanted! I can still leave you open for the ones that will attach to your personality. _ I mean, that’s pretty much what I’m doing right now, Shinichi. _ Connected to your actual being and forcing it to interact with a corpse of a dead man. And, That is _ not  _ out of her reach of imitating!”

“Well - No - Yes! … No.” Akako was still trying to regain some sort of ability to defend herself.

Shinichi’s face lost it’s color.

“Her stubbornness isn’t  _ that _ bad, brat.” Kaitou noticed the horror on the brat’s face in front of him - what was he doing there, “I mean, it is that bad, but not… Actually it is in a bad way.” The ghost attached to Kaitou slowly stepped away from the kid, and he pointed at one of Kaito’s pockets.

“The gem?” Kudo asked. The ghost jumped and looked at Kudo for seemingly the first time and he sighed.

“Kuroba-!”

“I’m not Kuroba!” Kid snapped at the witch.

Akako flinched. She blinked her eyes rapidly, “It’s just that I figured out why I couldn’t enchant you so I was going to fix it. I doubt this is intentional after all-”

“ _ So you were going to undo it _ ?” Kuroba hissed.“Make me vulnerable to your charms?”

“The moon is about to hid for the night,” Touichi whispered, “A storm is coming.”

“Pandora - Full moon. That’s how we know, Kudo-”

_Don’t care. Later._ _Akako? Remember?_

“Wait - Do you mean this is intentional, Kuroba?” Akako hissed out of surprised then anything else, “You have someone else’s soul -  _ for your protection _ ?”  She looked at Shinichi - or rather to her, Conan - and she pointed at the phantom thief, “And you’re giving  _ me _ flack? I know you can see him too! He is  _ literally _ talking to you!”

Shinichi shrugged, “I think Neechan-”

“Don’t you dare finish that-”

“Is losing it.” Shinichi glared at Akako. He finished it. It was clear to everyone that he wasn’t going to agree with her on principle. Which sent a shiver down Kaito’s back. It meant the kid could see it too - see him - “Him?” Shinichi turned to the thief in the spider’s web and looked into Kaito's eyes. Shinichi’s currently crimson eyes in this world of grey strict stared into Kuroba’s with a warning. Death was not a world to - “What do you mean ‘him’?” Kuroba had a thick skull when he was emotional. 

Shinichi shook his head, “Nothing. She only thinks-” He turned his eyes to Akako who was glancing at him. For the first time she felt out of her depth in the world of magic - there was a sharp edge of knowledge to Conan’s eyes. She didn’t speak. She let ‘Conan’ continue, “it’s male. Could be anything. It’s just from the other side.”

Kuroba glared at Akako, “So you did want to take advantage of me?”

She flinched, “I’ll settle for the boy tonight- I’ll let you leave if-”

“ _ You’ll settle for the boy? _ ” Everyone snapped at her all with different tones. Toichi was lightly entertained as he had his eyes on Shinichi’s reaper, Conan was exasperated and tired of being called a boy, Kudo was horrified at the thought of being near the witch - or at the thought of having to reveal himself; Shinichi couldn’t tell which - and Kid was the only one truly horrified with the intentions everyone else had set this situation to have.

Akako’s hands flung into the air and she turned away slightly with flushed cheeks, “ _ That’s not what I meant _ !” She apparently only seemed to hear and care about Kaito’s voice and reaction. Kudo was okay with that, “I just want to know what he knows! And it’s far more then a boy his age should! Agh-” Akako snapped and the world while still grey with red shifted. Kaitou Kid feel to the ground. He rubbed his wrists out of habit. That was simply what one did when you were freed from being bound. “You,” She pointed at Kuroba, “You can either take the boy with you for yourself,” She kept her smirking to a minimum as Kid’s poker face couldn’t cover the horror in his eyes for getting the same implications thrown at him, “Or you could leave him with me.”

“And I get no say in this?” Shinichi rolled his eyes.

Kudo shrugged, “Kid, you’re practically volunteering yourself for this.”

_ Hm? _

 “Like either of these brats are above more then teasing the other. And, besides, you literally started all of this. If anyone is asking for it - literally asking for it -” Shinichi’s face turned into a tomato as the two real teenagers stared at him. Kudo had distracted him. He missed what they said, and apparently the timing was enough for their faces to hit shades of white only paper could dream of having, “-Then it would be you.” Kudo shook his head, “Tsk. What _ would _ Ran think, Kudo? Oh, I know!” He held up a finger that could have held a light bulb above it, “You could make it a four way or whatever the kids are calling it these days-”

Shinichi looked away, and when he looked back both teens were gone. 

Apparently neither of them wanted the boy after whatever he’d missed.

“Well, at least we know his first and last name.” Kudo muttered, “We can find their school from there.” He threw a sidelong glance at Shinichi, “What will they think when you show up -?”

_ Oh, shut up.  _

“You’re just lucky I didn’t let Touichi slip away without a chat up as well. I mean, he looked quite flabbergasted when he saw you. Apparently - you look just like Kuroba as a kid. Interesting huh?”

_ Hmph. Fantastic. When did you even have that little chat? _

Kudo shrugged, “We should probably leave before the police show up here...”

~ ~ ~


	8. Kaitou Kid : Conversation

The next day was spent trying to find the school that Kaito Kuroba attended. Shinichi didn’t know how they’d managed it, but somehow they were standing with some amount of certianity outside the Ekoda high school by the time the classes were being dismissed.  _ So, now we just watch for Touichi’s ghost?  _ Shinichi asked the older mirror standing beside him.

“Or for the witch,” Kudo admitted, “I think she’ll be far more amiable then I first thought.”

_ Yes. Amiable. Exactly the word I would have chosen.  _ Shinichi started wringing his hands suddenly uncomfortable with the thought of meeting either of the people from last night’s standoff. 

He might have let his emotions get the better of him, and he might have used them to lash out with some of his pent up frustration about his situation. Not that they’d known, or anyone else, and he would barely admit it to himself, that maybe he had been a small bit out of line, but he’d had a night to think about his behavior. Shinichi sighed.

“People just want to be known,” Kudo whispered, “There’s no shame in that. It’s hard when you first start lying.”

_ Hmph.  _ Shinichi kept his eyes on the crowds passing by them,  _ That almost sounded like - _

“Sympathy?” Kudo snorted, “You think I pity you?”

_ Yes. _ Shinichi and Kudo were both caught off guard by the instant honesty.

“You haven’t let yourself think about what’s happened to you have you?”

_ We both know what will happen if I do that. _

“You  _ might _ not nose dive-”

_ There. There’s the ghost. I’d rather deal with them then the witch. _

Kudo sighed with the change in subject, “She was flustered rather easily, but I would happen to agree-” And that was when Akako made a beeline to Kaito Kuroba.

“I have a feeling-” They could hear her distressed words despite their distance.

“Akako,” Kuroba cut her off, “I am not in the mood. I have homework to do. So, If you wouldn’t mind-”

“He’s here.” She told him leaving a silence between the two as the fact sunk into the thief.

With that Kudo grabbed Shinichi’s shoulder and they started to make their way closer before the pair they were after could vanish.

Kuroba stood in the middle of the entrance and neither Kudo or Shinichi could hear what he said in response to that over the grumble of the classmates that were forced to struggle past the other duo, but they did notice the light slap on the back of the head that Kuroba got from a newcomer.

“Aoko does not approve, Bakaito!” The volume and the hushed silence from those near made it easy for Kudo and Shinichi to hear the conversation they were nearing. It was taking longer then it should have with Kudo trying to be careful to not touch any of the currently departing students. 

“I’m not going to be able to study with you tonight, Ahoko.” Kuroba answered the new girl.

Shinichi couldn’t see the color pale from the newcomer’s face, but Kudo could. He watched at Aoko glanced at Akako and slowly nodded, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.” She waved slowly to her friends. The pain in her voice made it clearly to Shinichi’s ears, and he could see Kaito’s hand tighten up involuntarily at the misunderstanding. Clearly the lost moment was a burden to both.

Shinichi glanced up at Kaito, but he couldn’t see it on his face. A smile and a gleam were in Kuroba’s eyes - a solid poker face. It was only the beat he took to unwind the knots in his hand before waving that reaffirmed the truth to Shinichi. Bakaito, as the girl had labeled him, was head over heels, but he was more then willing to let her walk away from him, hurt and misunderstanding. Shinichi felt a jab at his heart. He could understand how that felt, at least in some respect. He was so glad Ran knew. He couldn’t imagine lying to her, pretending to be someone else.

“Nee, Kaito-niichan!” Shinichi’s voice got Aoko’s attention as well, but only for a moment before she kept shuffling away. She didn’t ask, and that answered his unspoken question. She didn’t feel like she was a part of Kuroba’s life. Not in ways that mattered, and Shinichi’s hurt went out.

Kaito froze. So did Akako, “Shit.” This time Kudo and Shinichi knew they could guess at what he’d said earlier to Akako.

Kudo laughed, and Touichi put a hand to his face. After all, Kuroba still thought of Shinichi as Conan. He had just sworn in front of a child. Amusing to the Reaper that knew, and it was embarrassing to the father who was watching.

“You can say that again,” Akako whispered, not knowing or caring about either matter or the ghost’s response.

“Shit.” Kuroba eagerly obliged.

“‘Shit’? What does that mean, niichan?” Kudo couldn’t understand how the boy managed to say that with a straight face, falling so perfectly into the role of a child for the maxium discomfort of his audience, “Is that like candy?” Shinichi asked, “‘Cause I want candy whenever something bad happens to me-” Kaito grabbed Shinichi and threw him over his shoulder as those around him started to chuckle at the situation Conan was throwing Kuroba into.

“Cousins,” He grunted to those giving him a look as they passed by, “You need to stop running away from your mother, brat.”

Shinichi sighed and went limp on Kaito’s shoulder as the three - five counting the spiritual guests - headed away from the school. Shinichi started to wiggle the moment they passed through the gate, “Your shoulder is boney!” He squealed, “At least carry me comfortably!” Kaito sighed and shifted the boy into his arms. Shinichi grabbed Kaito’s collar and pulled himself up to Kaito’s ear. He could feel the boy’s body underneath him tensing up for the next embarrassing thing the boy had to say. Shinichi didn’t smirk, but he knew the boy wasn’t going to expect what he had decided to say, “I know you're chasing after the Pandora.”

“You made that knowledge clear last night,” He answered through gritted teeth, “Aren’t you looking for it yourself?”

“Why would a child do that?” Shinichi asked with a smirk, and Kuroba glared at the child.

“He is a half soul,” Akako commented still trailing beside them, “It means he’s either dead and possessing the body of a child or that he’s being possessed.”

Kuroba glared at the witch now, “And you can’t tell which?” He asked with a certain amount of suspicion.

She nodded reluctantly, “Even with my abilities as the Red Witch. I can not tell you which it is.”

This caught Shinichi’s attention, “Really?” He asked. His question tinted with honest childlike curiosity that blinded him from Kudo’s reaction to her title.

She raised an eyebrow to the question, “You’re surprised? You’re the one intentionally hiding something.”

“Yes,” He answered, “I am, but perhaps that’s hardly the lie that I’m trying so hard to maintain.”

Both proper teenagers looked at him, “That made no sense,” Kuroba commented for the both of them. Akako nodded. 

“Really?” Shinichi asked with a blink of confusion. He shrugged, “No one here has more then one lie to maintain of their own?”

Akako looked away from the other two, missed Kuroba’s reaction, and sighed, “I swear, you don’t even make the pretense of sounding like a child.”

Shinichi, somehow, managed to react with innocent surprise. As if he could be nothing but.

Kuroba sighed, and he nodded, “As if he could be anything but.”

“If he’s a possessed by a spirit he would be much older,” She answered, “But - that runs against my instinct feeling,” She threw a sidelong glance at the tiny boy, “I think the one speaking is the one who is the proper owner - even if I don’t know how - and that, deaging, is more then a highly experimental magic. It’s completely banned by all of the higher beings for humans to experiment with.”

“Really?” Shinichi’s hand went to his chin as he took this into consideration. He did have a leak to find after all -

“Of course,” Akako answered with a nod, “It could lead to immortality.”

“You mean like Pandora would?”

Akako suddenly looked at the brat in Kuroba’s arms, and Kaito would have dropped him if Shinichi hadn’t been able to keep such a firm grip on the boy’s collar, “Akako. Please go home. You can interrogate him tomorrow. I need to have some private words with him.”

Akako flinched and she sighed. Her curiosity was going to be the death of her, “Okay.” If she was smarter she’d just leave the child - who had somehow managed to break Kid’s poker face - alone completely, “I’ll consult with Lucifer while I wait for my turn.” Her eyes focused on the boy, “Don’t think you can get away from me.”

“You think I would I try for some reason?” Shinichi answered without missing a beat, with a matching wink.

Kaito chuckled, and Akako left in a huff, “At least we know the boy’s made his choice.”   
Kaito and Shinichi stopped expressing any sort of joy - Kaito being Kid was fully aware of the implications and Shinichi finally filled in the gaps that he’d missed in his distraction the night beforehand. When she was met with silence - Akako glanced back with a wide, wide smile on her face. She pointed at the them as she spun around, stance wide and victorious, “See!” She shouted over the distance between them, “I  _ can _ keep up in a banter!”

The boys simple watched her strut away in silence unsure of how to react at the witch’s amount of joy in gaining what could barely be considered the upper hand of them.

“Did she just say - ‘in a banter’?” Shinichi finally managed once she was out of sight.

“Yeah.” Kuroba mumbled, “She did.”

“Okay. I just wanted to make sure.”

“Wouldn’t it have made more sense to say with banter?” Kudo asked opening his mouth for the first time.

Shinichi squinted.  _ I’m not sure. _ He admitted reluctantly.  _ I am almost not sure I ever expected that sort of a reaction from her. _

“Same here,” Kudo stroked his chin with thought as he squinted after her as well, “It seems very unfitting for some reason.”

~ ~ ~

Eventually, when Kuroba came to terms with the fact that Akako had indeed managed to do whatever she had done - act like maybe a normal teenager? Kuroba still hadn’t quite come to terms with the sight he’d seen from her - Shinichi found himself sitting next to the internationally wanted thief on a park bench with a couple of supernatural beings chatting leisurely behind them. 

Kudo was chatting up Touichi about this and that, easing the ghost back into conversing with someone that could actually hear him, and Shinichi was awkwardly sitting beside Kuroba in silence with the, seemingly, older boy twiddling his thumbs as he figured out a way to get them out of the void their shock had created between them. 

“So,” Kudo said eventually as he noticed the maintained silence between the teenagers, “Do you want my kid to pass anything on to Kaito?” The Reaper asked the father he’d been chatting with, “Conan can hear us after all. He can always pass on a message to Kaito if you want.”

Shinichi turned and stared at the duo of ghosts. Kuroba watched the boy suddenly move and stare at - someone? It wasn't the distance anyways, but Kuroba couldn’t see anything - Perhaps it was the thing Akako had mentioned? The one she said that was with him? He felt a shiver go down his back.

Toichi stared at the boy, at Conan. Shinichi frowned,  _ And why would I-? _

“He can't hear your thoughts, kid,” Kudo quickly chided, “Stop being rude. The poor man is dead and stuck haunting his son - unable to speak to him. You can so you should.  _ Just imagine if you were in the same shoes _ . Wouldn’t you want to pass on one last message if you could?”

“Hmphf.” Was the only thing that came out of Shinichi’s deep scowl. Kaito raised an eyebrow and scooted away from the child beside him. Then he stopped and turned to stare at the same spot again. He didn't - couldn't - see anything as he’d already noted, but he glanced at Conan. It was clear to the teen that the child was indeed interacting with something unknown. 

“You and Akako are similar,” He muttered, “Aren't you?”

Kudo pointed at Kaito, “I like your boy - can we trade?”

Shinichi laughed bitterly, and he turned to Kuroba with the look of bitterness that only a dead man could have someone still living.

“What?” Kuroba whispered. His voice a breath on the wind, caught off guard by the vicious look in the eyes of a boy who looked no older then seven years of age.

“Do you want to know?” The bitter edge in his eyes softened.

Kuroba closed his slightly ajar mouth, and he watched the boy. Shinichi let him calculate, take in the all the details the thief could see before he decided to answer the enigma in front of him.

“Oi,” Kudo hissed, “You can’t be serious.”

_ I think - We can trust him. _

“But you can’t know that,” Kudo glanced at Touichi, “I mean-”

_ I’m not using the comfort you have with chatting with his old man. It’s something in my gut. _

“Guts - are a bad way to make decisions,” Kudo informed him.

Shinichi didn’t look away from Kuroba, but Kudo knew exactly what the boy was feeling. Kudo laughed awkwardly, “That’s a valid sentiment. I suppose, I’m really not one to say much.” He dropped the air of his guilty admission, “But, take it from someone who's had too many bad ones-”

“Yes,” Kuroba finally answered, “I want to know the truth”

Shinichi turned to Kudo, swung his legs around and jumped down from the park bench,  _ How many  _ have _ you made? _

Kudo blinked, “What?”

Shinichi nodded, taking in the answer, but he was careful to hide his thoughts with a white fuzz. There was something the Reaper didn’t know about himself, and Shinichi knew that would be a part of the final puzzle he’d have to solve. He signed, straightened his shoulders, surveyed the empty park, and looked at Kuroba, “Akako was right.” He answered.

“About what?”

“Both. I am both. A dead man, and a possessed one.”

“She made it sound impossible to be both.” Kuroba commented.

Shinichi nodded, “Indeed, but once you eliminate the impossible...”

“The fact that she couldn’t find proof that either was wrong?”

Shinichi nodded.

“Then no matter how improbable - it must be the truth?”

“Indeed.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Kaito asked. 

“Does it sound like madness?” Shinichi asked.

Kuroba looked at small form beside him, “No.”

“But what if I said she was also right about -”

“Nope. Now that - even she said - was impossible. You are a child.”

Shinichi smirked.

“You’re not a child are you?” Kuroba moaned. He looked away from Conan, ran his fingers through his hair, and finally rested his head in his hands, propped up on his knees, “Why?” He mumbled to himself, “Why do I always get into messes like this?”

Shinichi shrugged, “I don’t know.”

Kuroba glared at the shrunken boy, “How would you? We’ve just met.”

Shinichi scratched his chin, “Eh,” He looked away with a small, embarrassed smile on his face, “Actually…”

Kuroba stilled, and he straightened up, “Who are? I am now presuming that Conan Edogawa is just another lie you’re maintaining.”

Shinichi didn’t answer.

“Are you going to make me guess?”

“Ahoko’s last name is Nakamori, right?” Shinichi asked softly.

“Ahoko? You mean Aoko?”

“Sorry, I don’t know her personally. It was the only name for your girlfriend I heard…” Shinichi admitted.

“G-g-girlfriend?”

“So, She is Nakamori Aoko? Daughter of the Division Two’s lead Detective?” Shinichi ignored his fellow teenager’s stammering statement.

“Yes.” Kuroba answered, “I’m not seeing-”

“You only ever broke tried to steal a building once,” Shinichi told him, “It had to be for a girl, right?”

Kuroba stared at Conan, “Kudo Shinichi could have just said we knew each other growing up? You do realize that, right?”

Shinichi shrugged, “Could have kept in touch after your father’s death.”

Kuroba looked away, “Mom needed distance, and it’s not like we had cell phones, or that I even knew your phone number anyways.”

Shinichi hopped back up on the bench, “I also completely forgot about that.”

Kuroba stared at Shinichi appalled, “I left that little of an impression?”

Shinichi shrugged, “Moms. They’re adventures. A lot happened when I was a kid.”

Kaito laughed, “I suppose you’re right on both fronts.” He shrugged, “After the clock tower heist - I told my mother about it, and she brought up the fact that you’d come over with your mother and Sharon occasionally since the old man taught them a fair bit about stage makeup and costuming-”

“You mean, disguises,” Shinichi looked up at Kuroba, “Explains a lot.”

Kuroba smirked, and he shrugged, “Maybe.”

“You’re lucky it wasn’t until after I died that I put two and two together.”

Kuroba’s smirked disappeared as he realized the real horror behind their moment together,  the truth behind Shinichi’s words, and he stared at Shinichi’s tiny form with a depth of alarm that was straight from the heart, “What happened?” He asked.    
Shinichi leaned back, “Left Ran during our not a romantic date and saw something that I shouldn’t have.” He pointed at himself, “Detective after all. We know to get ourselves into trouble.”

Kuroba sunk as he leaned on his elbows, “You say that so casually, Shinichi-”

“Please - Conan. I shouldn’t have said so much out loud in such a public place.” He said glancing to the side.

Kudo snorted behind him, “Ya ain’t kidding there-”

“Oh shut it,” Shinichi turned to the Reaper behind him, “Besides weren’t you asking Touichi if -”

“Hush!” Kudo snapped, “Kaito doesn’t need to know-”

“Dad?” Kaito managed to spit out, “The thing that you and Akako were talking about trailing me - was my dad?” He pulled back from Shinichi, off the bench, “Woah -” He held out his arms so Shinichi wouldn’t move, “Just - What? Why would you hide that from me?”

Shinichi glared at Kuroba, at Kudo, and then he closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

Kudo snapped his fingers, and Kuroba’s attention quickly shifted to the new comer that had magically appeared - and he stared, “So, Shinichi-” He started.

“Not - I’m not Kudo Shinichi-”

“Just Kudo,” Shinichi grumbled, “He’s just Kudo - no first name.”

Kudo glared at Conan with a very displeased frown.

Kuroba opened his mouth for a moment before finding actual words to fill the space between them, “Oh.”

Kudo sighed, “Because we  _ were _ going to wait,” Kudo stepped up to Kuroba, his hands in his pockets, and his shoulders slouched, “I can’t enable you to see him.”

“Come again?”

“Right now,” Kudo pointed to himself, rested a finger on his chest, right above his heart, “I am making you see me. Like a delusion.”

“Okay.” That was hardly the most impossible thing of the day, so he rolled with it.

“But,” Kudo continued with a firm patience, “I can’t do that with Touichi - with your father.”

“You’re trying to skirt around something,” Kuroba noticed, “What is it?”

Kudo ran his fingers through his hair, and he barely met Kuroba’s eyes with his own, “That Red Witch? She can’t enchant you because you’re perceived to be a half soul,” He whispered, “To have a half soul,” He glanced at Shinichi, “Is to be a dead one.” He explained.

Kuroba’s eyes wided, “Come again?” His voice cracked, and his hand went to his chest. He could feel his heart pounding inside it.

Kudo shook his head, “You’re not dead. That’s not what I’m implying, but you do have a dead one.”

“What do you mean, Kudo?” Kuroba asked with a bit more force once he realized the other man was still trying to skirt around the edges.

Kudo glanced back at where Kuroba presumed his father was standing, and Kudo’s shoulder’s sagged, “It means, you’re both bound together. That you’re perceived to be one being, and being a dead one has more perks then being a living one in the supernatural - so as a self defense mechanism - that’s the one you present to the world around you. In exchange, when a man has bound a dead man to him - there is trade off, and the soul that should have passed,” He turned to Shinichi, “Is maintained. That’s why Touichi is fine after all these years, and why I’m still worried about you after a few days. Because I’m not human and I can’t provide the same maintenance Touichi has been getting through Kaito,” Kudo turned back to Kuroba. He opened his mouth, and relucant filled the space between them rather then words.

“What happens to him when I die then, Kudo?” Kuroba asked. He knew life tossed curveballs, and his voice was steady. He thought he knew what was to be said.

“You’re Grim Reaper may only see one of you,” Kudo told him.

Kuroba nodded, “So-”

“What if it’s you?” Shinichi piped up from the background, “What if it’s us there?

Kudo smirked, tired and worn, “I can see both.”

Shinichi smiled, a wide childish smile at Kaito who was processing the shift in information, “Then,” Shinichi said, “When you die, Kuroba. Please, be sure to find me. We’ll make sure both of you get to the other side.”

“Why wouldn’t you offer that, Kudo?” Kuroba asked.

“Because I don’t know how long Shinichi will last,” Kudo answered honestly, “Weren’t you listening? His dead soul isn’t getting the same maintenance as Touichi - He might-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Shinichi interrupted, “Got it, Kaito?”

The man behind the Kaitou Kid mask looked at Shinichi, and he saw something. He looked at Kudo, and he looked down at the ground. He nodded, “So, are you after Pandora -”

“What?” Kudo snapped, “You think that’s-” He cut himself off, and he took a step back, hands raised, “I’ll leave this nut case to you, Shinichi.” He said before vanishing from Kuroba’s sight.

Shinichi watched as Kudo tumbled backwards, crashing into the bench behind him, still between Shinichi and Kaito, “That was tiring,” He grumbled to answer the concern that had been growing in Shinichi’s mind.

“So why are you after Pandora then?” Kaitou Kid asked the actual kid with him in the park.

Shinichi smiled, and he looked up from Kudo to Kid, “I am Conan Edogawa,” He answered, “And I am a detective. Now- the real question is, why is a sixteen year old boy chasing after a mystical stone that’s known only as a box to the rest of the world?”

Kaito’s eyes widened, and he looked away from Conan, “That doesn’t-”

“My current employer hired me - forced my life back on me - so I could find the people trying to find it, and to stop them. You were the only lead we had. So, Kuroba Kaito, I’ll ask you -”

“I’m not the only one after it,  _ Conan _ , and I have a feeling you know that.”

Conan smirked, “That’s hardly an answer.”

“Um,” Touichi tried to interrupt, but Kaito couldn’t hear the older man’s voice.

“You’re right,” Kaito snapped, “So here, let me try this again for ya, ya brat. I am after Pandora because the crazy men that killed my paps are trying to find it because of that old immortality legend behind it, and I’m going to stop them.”

Shinichi smiled, stood on the bench, closed the gap between them, and he stared up at Kaito, “Were they dressed in black?”

“Y-Yes?” Kuroba answered slightly taken back by the turn the questioning had taken.

Shinichi turned around to see Kudo’s strained face, “Told you so!” He shouted, “Told you they’d be connected!”

“Huh?” Kuroba managed, “You - You know them?”

Shinichi pointed at himself with a far cockier air then fitting the statement he’d fill it with. He spun to look Kaito in the eyes and he smiled, “Killed me.”

Kuroba Kaito, fittingly, had no words to follow up that statement with.

Shinichi’s stomach managed to though.

“Food?” Kaito asked.

Shinichi’s cocky air had deflated at the bodily noise he’d made, “Sounds like a plan to me.”

“I live nearby,” Kaito answered, “We can keep talking there?”

Shinichi nodded, jumped down from the bench, and landed perfectly beside the international thief, “Lead the way then,” He said with a simple motion to match his words.


	9. Visitor : Introductions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter this update, but life is keeping me from getting longer edits completed at the moment. Apologies. Here's some Hattori.

_ Well, that wasn’t as informative as I had hoped it would be, _ Shinichi grumbled as he waved good bye to Kaito with a smile plastered on his face. They were standing outside the Mouri Detective Agency as Kaito had insisted to walking the kid home - with snickers as he called Shinichi a kid,  _ He’s just stealing random gems hoping to find it. _

Kudo shrugged and they watched the other odd pair vanish before opening his mouth to keep the conversation going, “Touichi didn’t know much more,” He said, “At least we know a bit about the organization that’s  _ actively _ after Pandora. An operative name - Snake.”

_ Think they’re the same one? _

“Oh? You think the fact that the two organizations happen to cloth their men in black isn’t enough to lock that down?” Kudo smirked at the shrunken teenager beside him.

_ I got carried away earlier, kay?  _ Shinichi sighed. He turned back to the detective agency, and looked up the staircase,  _ How tired do you think Ran will look - _

“I told you-” Ran’s screams echoed as she threw the door open, “I don’t know anything about where Shinichi’s gotten to! And I am  _ not  _ his woman!” She glanced down at the bottom of the stair. Conan sneezed, “Catching a cold, Conan-Kun?” She ask with a slight smirk. Shinichi rubbed his nose and smiled at Ran. He simply laughed, “Now,” Ran turned her attention back to the intruder she was screaming at, “I would like for you to kindly leave!”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry I intruded.” The tanned man backed out of the detective agency, “I just wanted to challenge him to a  _ friendly _ face off of the wits! A deduction battle - See who the better detective is-”

Her huff cut him off, “He has a lot of admirers. Maybe one them will be able to tell you where that no good son of a-”

The stranger motioned to the child at the bottom of the stairs - Shinichi, “Children-!?” He warned her.

She shoved a finger at his chest, “Then you know exactly how I was going to end that sentence! Get out of here!”

The man bowed, “Hope you enjoy the Beiju.” He grumbled before hurriedly stumbling down the stairs.

“I’m not old enough too.” She snapped back, “But I’m sure the old man will!” 

The man was quick on his feet as he dashed down the steps away from Ran, “Nee, nee,” Shinichi stepped in front of the stranger, “You’re looking for Shinichi-niisan?” He asked innocently. 

“Yeah,” The man mumbled, “Hattori Heiji of the West here,” He pointed to himself with a quickly regrowing sense of confidence, “I wanted to find out who was the better detective,” He fiddled with his baseball hat spinning it around so the brim was in the front, “The Neechan here is quite terrifying. I wonder if Shinichi knows she’s worried about him.”

“If he’s half the detective you are I bet he doesn’t even need to see her to know that.” Hattori couldn’t see Ran, but Shinichi could see her still standing in the doorway, watching them, listening. He could see her hand tremble, and it went to her mouth in surprise.

Hattori raised an eyebrow, “Oh, You wouldn’t happen to know where Kudo has vanished to then have you?”

“Vanished?” Shinichi tilted his head with an innocent curiosity, “You mean like hiding?”

“I mean like disappeared,” Hattori grumbled. He glanced around. His eyes passed over Kudo, and for a moment Shinichi thought he saw them linger for a moment, alight with a notion of seeing something, but they hadn’t lingered. It had to be nothing.

“He seems to be sensitive for some reason, but he has no hooks in - let’s call it the After?” Kudo answered as he’d made the same note in Hattori’s behavior.

_ Sounds good to me.  _ Shinichi muttered to Kudo, “What makes you think that?” Shinichi asked aloud to detective of the west.

Hattori glanced down at the brat at his feet and rubbed his head, “Nothing at all, boy. Nothing at all.”

“He had a premonition, Shinichi.” Kudo muttered. He knelt down, “I’ll explain later - Spirit walker, complicated. I don’t trust -”

“So why would you have a dream about, Shinichi-niichan?” Conan asked as he bobbed back and forth in front of Hattori.

Hattori and Kudo stared at the boy.

“What was that?” Kudo asked, “Do you have a problem with showing any sort of-”

_ Gut feeling. _

“Screw you.” Kudo informs him as Hattori still struggled to find his tongue.

“Come again?” Hattori finally managed to ask.

“You heard me.” Shinichi repeated, still maintaining the facade of an over active child.

“I’m sorry, boy…” Hattori answered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Shinichi smirk, “Kay.” He slipped around behind Hattori, and started to slowly walk up the steps.

“Do you know where Kudo Shinichi is?” Hattori asked again. He turned to the boy slowly.

Shinichi stopped moving, “Why do you think I might-?”

“Gut feeling.”

Shinichi stood still, “And if he has gone into hiding - disappeared - what makes you think he needs  _ you _ to find him?”

Hattori stammered, “I-I don’t know.” He eventually answered, “It just felt-”

“Right?” He asked. He turned around and stared up at Hattori.

“Shinichi?” He asked slowly.

Shinichi shrugged, “No idea where he’s at.”

Hattori frowned, “Damned fool - always thinks he has to -” He stopped and he stared at Conan.

“Has to what?” Shinichi asked slowly.

Hattori took off his hat, and he stared at it. He looked at the boy in front of him, and he slowly put it on the boy, brim forward.

Shinichi’s hand went to the hat.

“It just felt right,” Hattori muttered before shoving his hands deep into his pockets. 

Shinichi watched him walk away, and he heard Ran walk down the steps behind him slowly, “What was that?” She asked.

Shinichi took a couple of steps down, off the stairs and back onto the sidewalk. He watched Hattori leave, with his sagging shoulders. Shinichi looked back at Ran, “I don’t know,” He answered honestly, “But, there’s something about him.”

“What do you mean? Do you think he’s with  _ them _ ?”

“Do you?” He asked softly, watching the shrinking form.

Ran bit the side of her cheek as she thought it over, and he glanced at her. She shook her head, “But I also don’t know what to think of him.” She shrugged and looked away from Shinichi, “I’m no great detective after all. I don’t see anything other a high school detective.”

Shinichi nodded, “I’m going to be right back, Ran.” He said softly before his steps pounded beneath him as he raced to close the wide and growing gap between himself and his western comparison.

He heard steps behind him, and he glanced back to see Ran following him. Concern must have been visible in his eyes, or maybe confusion, “As if I’m letting you go alone after what you told me about last night,” She grumbled.

He couldn’t argue with that. Not with any sort of hope of success, but he still stopped, turned to Ran and whispered, “Please.”

She stared at him, and she saw the message in his eyes, sighed, and nodded.

Shinichi ran off again with relief,  _ I don’t want to drag you into this. _ Were the words he never wanted to tell her - after all that would enable her to argue with him. It would be a can of worms that could never be closed.

Kudo rolled his eyes, and he floated beside Shinichi, “I wash my hands of this,” He told the shrunken from beside him, “I hope you know that.”

Shinichi rolled his eyes, “You have made that very clear by now. So - yes, consider it noted.”

“And ignored.”

Shinichi smiled at the Reaper, “You do learn.”

~ ~ ~


	10. Visitor : Implications

Hattori had had a long night, although he couldn’t remember the nightmare that had left him in such a panic. Life was short - the thought had been pulsing in his head - so if there was anything he had to do, he should follow up on it.

And for some reason that lead to him grabbing his cell phone, and googling the name ‘Kudo Shinichi‘.

He had to prove that Osaka had the better high school detective, after all. Right?

The search for Kudo had also brought up the fellow detective’s parents, would have been a surprise considering exactly who they were, but his peer had plenty of articles and news of his own. Almost too many. So he pulled up a fan forum - a thing that he’d never seen while searching his own name, he noted - and between all of the breakdowns and analysis of the actual crimes - and calculations about the amount of Tokyo murder cases he solved in proportion to occurrence, required to know to determine if he was better of being known as Heisei Holmes or Savior of the Tokyo Police Department after all, apparently - and there was one thread that stood out to him.

The title of it? _It’s been three days since the last case with his name was filed…_

That was what he needed to know. His hands were sweaty and concern was compounding in his heart with an unknown cause.

Hattori’s father was the Superintendent Supervisor of the Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters, and with some prodding he’d managed to get Kudo’s address from him. Hattori had told his father the same thing he told Ran. He wanted to met Shinichi and see who was the better detective - Hattori of the West or Kudo of the East. It was a school holiday, and he’d had this idea in the works - only the pounding in his chest pressed him to make a move now.

It wasn’t a surprise when Hattori managed to climb Kudo’s fence to find an empty house. The same forum was useful to find which school Shinichi attended in Tokyo (Which had soothed his slight frustration with his lack of a fan forum. He didn’t need fans if this is what fans did.) and asking around there had lead to a connection to Mouri Ran via one loud mouth Sonoko, who revealed that Ran was skipping school as well.

Hattori sighed, and that had been a dead end still.

So, He found himself standing outside of a corner police station, and sighed again.

He knew Kudo had a connection being known as the saviour of the task force, but he hadn’t wanted to bring it light that he was worried about Kudo being missing. First, he’d vanished from the newspapers, and then last night - his dream -

He cut off his train of thought as it was met with a sharp headache, he thought he heard someone take a sharp breath, shook his head. His father had told him if he needed anything he could talk to Inspector Megure - the man was a friend and he’d spoken of Shinichi before.   _Maybe it was just a case_ , Hattori told himself. _Maybe it was just a case._

He knew he was lying to himself. He had seen something for just a moment earlier. Something that had looked eerily like the ghost of Kudo Shini-

There was a scream down the street.

Hattori let go of the door, took a step back, and he darted in the direction he’d heard the screen come from. _Shinichi is fine,_ He told himself, _He’s just on a case. He is a detective after all, and we always run towards the screaming._

~ ~ ~

Shinichi was passing by an ice cream parlor when the scream echoed out from through the door,  _ “ _ Dammit, Shinichi!” Kudo hissed as the boy started to struggle with opening the door, “This isn’t the time to get distracted! You’re the one that-”

Kudo stopped talking when Hattori stood beside him, and Hattori stared down at the boy who was still wearing his hat.

“What are you doing here?” Hattori asked the boy in front of him.

Conan rolled his eyes, “Are you going to open the door or not, Hattori? You know how I can’t reach the -” Shinichi stopped. He stared up at Hattori, and Kudo saw the alarm in both of the boy’s eyes as their casual air with each other suddenly snapped.

“Yeah,” Hattori muttered. He slowly slide the door open for the boy, “We should be headed in.”

“You’re not going to tell me to leave?” Shinichi asked. He’d gotten that treatment with the two cases he’d worked with Ran’s dad over the last three days, “I’m just a boy after all…”

“Do you know how many times been told I wasn’t old enough even though I’m nearly twice your age.”

“Ten-” Shinichi told him without a thought as to why he might have a reason to correct him.

“Ten what?”

Shinichi’s brow furrowed, “How old  _ are _ you?”

“17.”

“Ten years - not double.”

“I doubt-” Now, Hattori stared at Shinichi, Conan, with a fading realization that he had no reason to correct him, but he knew-

“Doubt what?”

“I doubt that - I’m exactly ten years older then you?” He knew - He knew he was two months younger then Kudo Shinichi, and it was sending a chill down his back.

It had to be because of that dream. There was no reason for- Conan’s eyes drifted away from Hattori’s, and the boys looked inside the parlor. There were two people staring at them, and there was body between them, “How about you focus on that?” Kudo moaned, “You  _ are  _ detectives after all.”

Shinichi glared up at Kudo.

_ And she’s clearly the cause - You know holding the knife and covered in the victim’s blood while the other is- _

“Watch out-” Hattori pushed Conan to the side as the killer dove at the boy, and Hattori pushed the killer back into the ice cream parlor, the door closed behind the two of them.

Shinichi found himself struggling to open the door. He screamed Hattori’s name over and over again.

“Step back,” Kudo rolled his eyes, and he put a hand on the door handle. He looked down at Shinichi, “Tell no one, kay?”

Shinichi nodded, and Kudo opened the door for him in public.

Shinichi dodged inside, and Kudo followed him.

They both watched helpless from the sidelines. Kudo opened his mouth for a moment, before glancing down at Shinichi. He’d - He had thought of something, an impossibility.

He sighed. He was gaining the case of the crazies. He guessed it was air borne-

Hattori groaned as the knife plunged into his forearm. It gained both, boy and Reaper’s attention. 

Kudo was the one to step in, and he put a hand on the killer who stumbled back as if Hattori had pushed him backwards. The killer slumped down to the ground, and Hattori stared not at the killer, but at the ghost standing in front of him.

“Kudo?” He whispered.

Kudo waved a hand in front of Hattori’s eyes, and Hattori’s attention shifted again as if that moment had never happened.

Kudo turned to Shinichi and pointed at him, “Him seeing me?” He hissed, “I’m blaming all of this on you, got it?”

Shinichi was oddly enough fine with that,  _ Better that I’m the only dead detective here. _ He answered.

Kudo snorted, and he rolled his eyes before turning back to the door, “Whatever. He’s sensitive to the After - almost could rival that Akako if he had the training if I’m right - so I’m going to set outside. I don’t want to be here, and you’ll be fine. I won’t fall out and disconnect you - walls don’t matter to ghosts after all.”

_ And you said  _ I  _ was the ghost. _

“Shut up.”

_ Whatever. _ Shinichi stared at Hattori, and Hattori stared at him.

“I’m going down to the police box,” Conan told him.

“Yeah.” Hattori answered, “That would be best. It’s not like I can leave you alone with a criminal, a body, and scared eye witness.”

Shinichi nodded, “And then what?” He asked.

“Ahou,” Hattori muttered, and he looked away from the brat with his hat, “Take it one step at a time. So go,” He pushed the door open for him.

Shinichi obliged. He glanced back at Hattori, “Be careful.”

“You too.”

It was weird, to both of them, but again to both of them, the words came out in a way that felt akin to muscle memory. They were just - the right words.

And neither of them knew why it was. It was the first time they’d met.

~ ~ ~

But they were words well given, Hattori found out a moment later as he saw Kudo, a full sized Kudo Shinichi, swing the door wide open - which was more then slightly alarming considering the small bundle in his arms. Shinichi was wearing his hat now, and for some reason that convinced Hattori that he was the one that had every right to his attention.

“We have to leave  _ now _ , Hattori.” The tall one hissed, and Hattori didn’t have time to keep stewing after the odd thoughts before he raced down the street after Kudo’s light form.

“Ya wanna explain what’s going on, Kudo?” Hattori asked as they dodged through the small trickle of people.

“Shinichi,” He answered. He glanced back at Hattori, “Please, call me Shinichi.”

~ ~ ~ 

Shinichi was clutching his shrunken form. He was foggy on the details of what had happened in the booth, but it was of the supernatural, he couldn’t linger in the air, and now Kudo was now somehow the one in his shrunken form. Shinichi knew it was odd, and that he’d had forgotten the explanation, when the thought of those two facts didn’t fill him with fear.

He also didn’t know why he was dragging Hattori behind him, but he was running on adrenaline and he was keeping the brim of Hattori’s hat pulled down so it cast a long shadow over his face.

It just felt right.

~ ~ ~

“I can read spirits like you read a holmes book. It’s instinctive and sometimes I skip pages, miss details until they pull up the page themselves. Like him recalling his nightmare - that’s how I knew about the premonition.”

_ Fascinating.  _ Shinichi had whispered in response to that detail,  _ What does that have to do with the now? _

“People don’t have premonitions about strangers -  _ not to the extent that they just go as far out of their way to find them as this _ \- He has to have some sort of ill will-”

_ What makes you think that it’s ill? _

“It has to be,” Kudo insisted as they walked down the street towards the police box, “So can we just go back to the detective -”

_ No. That’s not a good enough answer, _ Shinichi answered,  _ Why are you so intent to force an ill will on Hattori? _

“Why are you so insistent that he has none?”

They sighed in unison, neither quite understanding the other or passion behind their own commitments.

~ ~ ~

Shinichi stopped running. He looked at the bundle in his arms, and he turned to stare at the teenager chasing him. Who had suddenly lost sight of him. Kudo put a hand to the teenager’s forehead.

_ Damned headache, _ Hattori hissed - or rather he thought. Kudo could hear his thoughts. His fingers dug deeper into Hattori’s head, he wanted more then Hattori’s thoughts. The boy gasped.

_ Boy _ ? They were the same age - No, Kudo the grim reaper, the spirit walker, was an ageless being. 

Shinichi let go of Hattori, and he took more then a few steps back away from the fellow high school detective.

No. He was  _ Shinichi _ . The high school detective who was having one hell of a week.

Hattori turned again, and he looked at Shinichi, who had reappeared. Hattori took a deep breath, “Shinichi?” He whispered.  Shinichi took another step back from Hattori, and they watched each other carefully. 

Hattori’s eyes shifted to the tiny form in Shinichi’s arms, “What’s going on?” Hattori whispered again.

“I can’t remember,” Shinichi whispered, “I can’t remember. Shite.”

“Odd choice of words.”

Shinichi laughed bitterly.

“You don’t look so good, Kudo.”

“Shinichi.”

“Shinichi?”

“I-  I need,” He held the boy out to Hattori, “Please. I trust you with this.”

Hattori took the sleeping bundle, “He’s cold, Ku- Shinichi. Unnaturally so - Is this-” Hattori’s hand went to feel the small boy’s forehead, and it lead to him checking for a pulse.

Shinichi held out a hand, and he put it on his forehead, on Conan. Nothing. He felt nothing. He couldn’t even feel Conan like he had Hattori. Shinichi sighed, “Can - Can you carry him for a bit longer?”

“He barely has a pulse, Shinichi...”

“He’s not dead.”

“Why do you want me to carry him?”

“Because no one else can see me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean - Literally, Hattori. Kudo Shinichi is a dead man, and now I’m little more then a ghost-”

Hattori shifted the boy, “I thought this was Kudo Shinichi-” He said. 

“Why? Why did you think that?”

Hattori stared at Shinichi, “What sort of a child behaves the way you do shrunken-”

They stared at each other.

“That sounds like a statement rather then a deduction.”

“Ahou. I don’t need you confirming it. It’s the truth.”

~ ~ ~

Kudo was aware, even if it looked like Conan was sleeping. He screamed at Shinichi to notice him once the boy had touched Hattori. Souls like Hattori’s were different, and that was how he had known about the boy’s potential to wield magic like Akako. It was a buzz in the back of his head, and it had been so hard to ignore. He was surprised the boy had managed to shake himself out of it on his own - almost as if he hadn’t noticed it.

_Stupid Patron_ , Kudo grumbled. He remembered what had happened, knew that Shinichi didn’t, and now he was the one locked into a trance as Shinichi was forced to fill the space he’d left in their own relationship. _This is just fantastic._   _God, I hate the gods._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So - two and a half weeks, eh? I'm so sorry. I have over 65k - this isn't going anywhere for a long time, but some scenes play out really awkwardly in the first draft, and edits have been slow, and a pain. Just like rereading what I've already posted. I apologize the delay. That being said. I don't know when the next one is coming out. It's simply a very complex story - I have nearly all of the core cast and then I added even more people to the Conan Cast to cover plot needs. I appreciate your patience.
> 
> Also - I've been consumed by Mob Psycho 100. I apologize - but I'm not actually sorry. It's fantastic. Mob is the cutest, the best.


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